Chiefs admitting $80M mistake with Jawaan Taylor move

The Kansas City Chiefs are saying goodbye to beleaguered offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor. 

On Monday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the Chiefs have told Taylor they plan to release him before the start of the league year on March 11, barring a trade. Don't expect there to be a market for the 2019 second-round pick. In three seasons with the Chiefs, Taylor failed to prove he deserved the big bucks. 

Why signing Jawaan Taylor was a mistake for Chiefs

The Chiefs signed Taylor to a four-year, $80M deal in free agency in 2023. At the time, it seemed like a solid move. 

Taylor was coming off the best year of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2022, Pro Football Focus gave him a career-best 76.4 pass-block grade (above the league average) and credited him with a career-low 16 pressures allowed. 

When he arrived in Kansas City, however, Taylor quickly backslid. In his Chiefs debut against the Detroit Lions in Week 1 of the 2023 season, it appeared the O-lineman suddenly forgot how to line up. He appeared to false start multiple times throughout the 21-20 loss to Detroit. Surprisingly, it took officials 58 minutes to penalize Taylor. 

"Jawaan Taylor playing slot receiver finally got busted on one," NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said during the broadcast.