Given his reputation as a plus pass protector and the dearth of good tackle options around the NFL, it was only a matter of time before some team would give Jawaan Taylor a place to land. The Atlanta Falcons were certainly glad to see Taylor still available after hearing about Kaleb McGary's decision to retire after seven seasons in the league.
On Wednesday, just an hour or so after McGary's retirement news broke to the media, the Falcons announced a new one-year deal with Taylor worth $5 million and an additional $1M in incentives. Taylor had spent the previous three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs but was released coming into the 2026 offseason in order to clear much-needed cap space.
When general manager Brett Veach first signed Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal ahead of the 2023 campaign, the Chiefs were attempting to fix questions on the outside. The Chiefs needed a long-term fixture in place on both sides after going with Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie, and Taylor represented a young, reliable presence in free agency. He had spent four seasons as a starter with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being drafted 35th overall in 2019, and Kansas City was betting that experience would stabilize a right tackle spot that had been a revolving door.
While it's true that Taylor provided a long-term starter on the right side, and it's also true that the team claimed a Super Bowl ring in his first year, there were also issues from the outset. Taylor's pass protection is his strong suit, and his durability is often overlooked. However, Taylor's issues with penalties and lining up off the line were called out from the beginning, and yet the veteran could never seem to fix the problem.
By 2025, Taylor felt like the team's most obvious cut heading toward the 2026 offseason. The Chiefs' season was clearly going off the rails, and Taylor's looming cap hit of over $27 million was an easy starting point for a team that needed to seriously retool the roster following a six-win season. It didn't help matters that Taylor's season ended prematurely due to a triceps injury.
The Chiefs indeed released Taylor ahead of the new league year to clear $20 million in cap space. Taylor's health shouldn't be a concern ahead of the 2026 season, and at 28 with 111 career starts, he will find a market. There were good moments in Kansas City, but there weren't enough of them to justify what became an untenable number.
Now, Taylor gets a chance to remain a clear starter for the Falcons on the right side and re-enter the market next season. It will be interesting to see how he fares as Kevin Stefanski takes over the reins in Atlanta with talented skill position players but so many needs elsewhere.