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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ArrowheadPride.com) – The Kansas City Chiefs have made their first signing of NFL free agency, signing now-former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor to a four-year contract. The deal was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Taylor, 25, first joined the Jaguars as a second-round selection out of Florida in the 2019 NFL Draft. The most interesting part of the signing is that Taylor will likely join Kansas City as its new starting left tackle after playing right tackle for all four seasons in Jacksonville. Taylor did well on the right side for the Jags in 2022, recording the third-lowest pressure rate among offensive tackles last season.
The news that the Chiefs intend Taylor to be their left tackle presumably ends the tenure of Orlando Brown Jr. in Kansas City — which Rapoport essentially confirmed in a later tweet. It may be remembered that the Chiefs used Brown as their starter at left tackle after he spent 2019 as the Baltimore Ravens’ right tackle and mixed right and left tackle in 2020 due to injuries in Baltimore.
Rapoport noted the contract is worth $80 million, including $60 million in guarantees. Houston Texans’ left tackle Laremy Tunsil has been tied to the Chiefs in trade talks — so if that were to happen, Taylor might stay on the right side.
We’ll continue to monitor, but one thing is certain (following Andrew Wylie to Washington and the signing of Taylor over Brown): the Chiefs have turned the page to their title defense.
