The Kansas City Chiefs' march toward salary cap compliance continues.
The Chiefs are releasing right tackle Jawaan Taylor, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday, per sources informed of the decision.
The move creates needed cap space. The release will save the cap-strapped Chiefs $20 million on the cap with $7.391 in dead money, per Over The Cap.
The Chiefs signed Taylor in 2023 as a centerpiece of their offensive line remake during that go-around, inking a four-year, $80 million contract. Initially, Andy Reid indicated that the high-priced blocker would take over Patrick Mahomes' blind side, despite rarely playing left tackle in his career. That decision was quickly scrapped, and Taylor spent the past three seasons as the Chiefs' starting right tackle.
He's been a capable starter throughout his tenure and mostly stayed on the field, but his blocking began to significantly fall off in 2025, and the high-profile penalty problems persist.
Cutting Taylor has been an expected move for the Chiefs, who began the offseason significantly over the salary cap for 2026. The first high-profile move was restructuring Mahomes' contract. The club can also push money into the future with other restructures -- i.e., Chris Jones. The bloodletting of some veterans was also expected. K.C. previously released Michael Danna, saving $8.8 million. Moving on from Taylor gives general manager Brett Veach a bigger chunk. The Chiefs aren't done making moves before the new league year opens on March 11.
Releasing Taylor gives flexibility for Veach heading into free agency, but it also creates more questions along an offensive line that wasn't exactly sturdy in front of Mahomes last season.
After the first truly disappointing season in K.C. under Reid, it's a reset offseason for the Chiefs with big moves needed to ensure the one-year blip isn't a sign of true decline. The first stage of that plan is freeing up cap space.
