Jawaan Taylor’s Chiefs release will take place Wednesday, per report
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jawaan Taylor’s Wednesday release saves $20M, creates $7M dead money
- Four moves have put the Chiefs in position to be cap-compliant for 2026.
- Jaylon Moore is projected to start at right tackle with Esa Pole challenging.
Earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs informed right tackle Jawaan Taylor that he would be released before the start of the new league year on March 11 if the team was unable to find a trade partner. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that release will take place Wednesday.
The expected roster move saves the Chiefs $20 million against the cap while leaving $7 million in dead money. News of Taylor’s Wednesday release came within hours of the team’s decision to trade cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for four draft picks.
The Chiefs entered the offseason needing to shed an estimated league-high $58 million to become cap-compliant for the start of the 2026 season. Four roster moves — restructuring Patrick Mahomes’ contract ($43.65 million in relief), releasing defensive end Mike Danna ($8.9 million), trading McDuffie ($13.6 million) and releasing Taylor ($20 million) — have now put Kansas City in that position.
In 2022, Taylor signed a four-year, $80 million deal to join the Chiefs and became their starting right tackle after the departure of Andrew Wylie. His three-year tenure in Kansas City included 52 starts across the regular season and playoffs.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was candid in his comments about the potential cuts of Taylor and linebacker Drue Tranquill, whose release would save an additional $6 million against the 2026 cap.
“These guys started for us, and they’ve played a lot of football for us,” Veach said of Taylor and Tranquill. “I don’t know if we’re six or seven (million) over, but I think we have 60 million in convertible contracts, too.”
Looking ahead, Jaylon Moore is Kansas City’s projected starter at right tackle, with Esa Pole providing some offseason competition.
The league’s “legal tampering” free-agent period begins at 11 a.m. Central on March 9. Now with cap room to work with, the Chiefs should be expected to be players.
