Update: NFL reporter Adam Schefter posted that Jawaan Taylor suffered a shoulder injury and that the team is "not overly concerned at this time." That's good news for the Chiefs going forward, but we look forward to hearing more.
The Kansas City Chiefs held one of their final days of training camp practice in St. Joseph on Wednesday and, unfortunately, watched one of their own suffer a scary injury when right tackle Jawaan Taylor went down.
Taylor was eventually carted off of the field and taken back to the locker rooms for further medical attention. As of press time, no one was sure of the reason why Taylor was hurt.
The Chiefs invested heavily in Taylor a year ago as their prized free agent signing—to the tune of a four-year, $80 million deal to anchor the right side of the line for years to come. Taylor had previously finished up his rookie contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Without Taylor, the team elevated Lucas Niang to his spot with the first-team offensive line. Niang was a former third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who is in his contract season with the Chiefs.
Overall, the Chiefs are dealing with multiple questions up front as the regular season draws closer, including an NFL season opener against the visiting Baltimore Ravens. Joe Thuney is still making his way back fully from a pectoral injury that's kept him from being 100 percent in practice during training camp. The Chiefs are also hoping that first-year left tackle Kingsley Suamataia can hold things down.
Further details will be forthcoming about the nature of Taylor's injury, but if he's out for any period of time, expect the Chiefs to make a roster move in order to add a bit more security and stability at the position—perhaps to even bring back Donovan Smith for another season, if he's interested.