Jawaan Taylor Set To Become The Kansas City Chiefs’ Highest-Paid Lineman

Just hours into the two-day negotiating period to begin free agency, the Kansas City Chiefs made a big splash.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs signed former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal, including $60 million guaranteed.

That $80 million sum makes Taylor the highest-paid offensive lineman on the Chiefs.

Taylor and left guard Joe Thuney both have $80 million deals, which is tied for 10th among all offensive linemen in the NFL, but Thuney’s is over five years, and Taylor’s is over four.

Also, Thuney only has $46.9 million guaranteed, and Taylor has $60 million.

Taylor’s new deal also means his $20 million average annual value (AAV) is the highest of any right tackle. New Orleans Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has a contract, which pays $96 million over five years or $19.2 million per year.

The AFC West rival Denver Broncos also just signed right tackle Mike McGlinchey (formerly of the San Francisco 49ers) to a five-year, $87.5 million deal, but that AAV is only $17.5 million.

As a result of Taylor’s signing, the perimeter of the Chiefs’ offensive line, which didn’t allow a sack in Super Bowl LVII, will look very different in 2023.

Last year’s starting right tackle, Andrew Wylie plans to sign a three-year, $24 million deal with the Washington Commanders, reuniting him with former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

And the Chiefs did not place the franchise tag on last year’s starting left tackle, Orlando Brown.

Brown made $16.6 million on last year’s one-year deal, but the Chiefs declined to tag him again, knowing that it likely will take more than $20 million a year to secure the four-time Pro Bowler for the long term.

It was presumed the Chiefs might retain one or both of their tackles.

“Those guys obviously had good years for us,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at the NFL Combine. “I’m sure that Brett (Veach) will surely make a strong attempt to keeping them here, but we’ll see how that goes.”

Instead, the Chiefs went with a sturdy and reliable — though expensive — replacement.

Taylor is remarkably durable. Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in 2019, he has started all 66 of his NFL games.

Pro Football Focus grades him well. According to PFF’s numbers, Taylor played 1,095 snaps last year and only allowed five sacks and committed seven penalties.

The only rub is that Taylor has played right tackle in the NFL. That’s where he lined up against the Chiefs in Week 10 of the 2022 season and in the divisional playoffs.

Left tackles typically command even more money than those on the right because they protect the blindside for quarterbacks like right-handed Patrick Mahomes.

Perhaps the Chiefs will try to convert Taylor to left tackle. That’s what they did with Brown, who started his career as a right tackle on the Baltimore Ravens.

The 2023 offseason has just started. So the Chiefs could still find their other tackle via trade or free agency, though they’ve obviously allocated significant resources to the tackle position.

There’s also the draft, which takes place in Kansas City on April 27.

However they fill the other tackle position, the Chiefs already have made a significant investment to further protect Mahomes, the face of both the franchise and the NFL.