There are a lot of things that fans can get mad about when thinking about the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss in Super Bowl LIX. But one of the biggest was how Patrick Mahomes was manhandled behind the Chiefs’ offensive line.
Mahomes was thrown around for six sacks in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City’s makeshift offensive line couldn’t keep up. While Joe Thuney performed admirably at left tackle, he was part of an overhaul that saw him get traded to the Chicago Bears, and the Chiefs sign Jaylon Moore and draft Josh Simmons.
These moves could put everyone on the offensive line on high alert entering next season. But one Chiefs starter is in particular trouble as his stock is falling entering the month of May.
Jawaan Taylor’s Stock is Falling After Chiefs’ Offensive Line Overhaul
Jawaan Taylor has been a fixture on the Chiefs’ offensive line since signing a four-year, $80 million contract in 2023 and has started 33 of the 34 regular season games since arriving in Kansas City. While the rest of the offensive line had its issues, Taylor seemed to be the one player that was safe even after allowing 43 quarterback pressures and seven sacks last season.
The Chiefs signed Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract in free agency and the move was expected. Kansas City never figured out the left tackle position last year, as Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia struggled out of the gate and free agent pickup D.J. Humphries never found his footing after he was signed in November.
Moore’s signing solidified the left tackle position but things got complicated when Simmons was taken with the 31st overall pick in the draft. A left tackle at Ohio State, Simmons’s arrival seemed to mean bad things for Moore when he recovers from his patellar injury. But Chiefs general manager Brett Veach put Taylor on notice when he was talking to reporters during last weekend’s draft.
“When Pat Mahomes is your quarterback, you can never have enough of those guys [tackles],” Veach said via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. “It’s a long season. Jaylon Moore has to stay healthy. Jawaan [Taylor] is doing a good job now with rehab from his knee, but he has to stay healthy. …You have him under contract now for five years and these guys are so hard to find.”
Taylor is currently rehabbing a knee injury but he needs to get healthy soon to protect his job. Simmons played left tackle with the Buckeyes but he played right tackle during the first year of his collegiate career at San Diego State. That versatility creates a world where Moore is at left tackle and Simmons replaces Taylor on the right and it’s more realistic considering the Chiefs can save $20 million by releasing Taylor next offseason.
With the Chiefs preparing to give right guard Trey Smith a new contract, money has to be shuffled to keep the offensive line intact. While Taylor could be the starter to open the season, his stock is falling and it could cause Kansas City to sell sometime in the next year.