For the first time since he joined the Kansas City Chiefs, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor didn't finish the season among the three players with the most penalties. However, that's only because he missed five regular-season contests, as his lack of discipline would've had him among the league's leaders had he played a full slate.
Taylor drew 10 penalties in 12 games, nine of which were taken. He's been called for double digits in penalties in every season in Kansas City, including a league-worst 20 (16 accepted) a couple of years ago, according to NFL penalties data. No matter how you slice it, that's unacceptable from a starting lineman tasked with protecting Patrick Mahomes.
Perhaps it's not a coincidence to see that this all happened without Eric Bieniemy. The Chiefs' new offensive coordinator left in 2022, right before the Chiefs brought Taylorto town on a massive four-year, $80 million contract.
Now, with Bieniemy back in town, it sounds like Taylor won't have many — if any — opportunities to get his act together.
Jawaan Taylor Should be Terrified by Eric Bieniemy's Promise for Discipline
Bieniemy has earned a reputation for his tough love and no-bull approach. He tells it as he is, and that has rubbed some players the wrong way along the line. Judging by his latest words, he's not going to change that, and Taylor might want to call his realtor:
“More than anything, E.B. is E.B.,” Bieniemy told reporters during a video call on Wednesday, per The Athletic's Jesse Newell. “We will still be disciplined and detailed in everything and how we handle our business.”
The former running back runs a tight ship with military-like discipline. Taylor can either do his job, or he will hear about it. That spells disaster for a player who can't seem to stop jumping the gun on every other snap.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid argued that Taylor was one of the best tackles in the league when he wasn't struggling with penalties. It's hard to know if that's true, given that he's often hurting the offense with 10-yard punishments.
However, it's not like the numbers help his case, either. Even though Taylor only surrendered a personal-low 20 pressures (12 hurries, five QB hits, three sacks) in 2025, he's still given up an average of 40.1 pressures since moving to Kansas City. It's also worth noting that he gave up 10 of his pressures in his last four appearances, indicating that any promising play earlier in the year was an anomaly.
That won't fly with Bieniemy back in town, especially with Taylor commanding a $27.1 million cap hit in 2026, per Spotrac. The Chiefs can dump the struggling OL to create $20 million in savings at any point in the offseason, further highlighting why Taylor must hit the ground running when workouts and training camp begin.
At just 28 years old, Taylor is still young enough to improve, so hopefully, Bieniemy's arrival and his quest for discipline will have a positive impact. Otherwise, the veteran blocker might not be around Kansas City for much longer.