The Kansas City Chiefs have had a consistent level of frustration with right tackle Jawaan Taylor for the past two years. What makes watching Taylor so infuriating isn’t a lack of capability but never-ending rookie mistakes that hurt Kansas City’s offense at the worst possible times. Evidence of this is the fact that Taylor has led the league in penalties since the 2023 season, getting flagged 50 times in the games since. Taking this a step further, the tackle has been flagged 7 times in the first three weeks of the NFL season.
Both of these numbers easily lead the league in either span, pointing to the Achilles heel that has Chiefs fans ready to push the veteran out of the starting lineup. What makes the starter so incredibly frustrating is the level of ability protecting Patrick Mahomes when he is at his best. Arrowhead Live pointed this out, retweeting a chart that puts Josh Simmons and Taylor near the top of the league when left on an island to protect their quarterback. It speaks to more than a handful of great moments the tackle has had, even amidst the failure.
Chiefs Must Bench Jawaan Taylor for Jaylon Moore in Week 4 Showdown
With all of this in mind, it is time for the Chiefs to turn to Moore and put Taylor on the bench for an important matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Kansas City is going to have the full focus of a team that just lost a shootout against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. Add in the frustrating end when these two teams met a season ago, the Ravens were going to be completely locked in.
Both contenders sit at 1-2 on the season and desperately need this game to steady their respective fan bases and feel in control of the season ahead. All making it clear that Taylor simply cannot be trusted in a game of this magnitude. There is a reason why you paid Moore and drafted another tackle in Simmons. Kansas City’s front office and coaching staff understood they could not trust Taylor when the games mattered most.
Whether it is lining up incorrectly or a false start, it is like clockwork that when the Chiefs are attempting to take control of a game, Taylor is going to make it all the more difficult. You simply cannot continue to start this liability and expect to return to the dominating force you have been. We have a large sample size that tells us the right tackle isn’t changing his approach or the consistent mistakes that follow.
Benching Taylor sends a strong Week 4 message and gives you the chance to find a superior option in Moore. It is hard to believe things could be any worse when you look at the first three weeks and the consistent mistakes the starter has made. No question, the Chiefs need to make the move, understanding the urgency in this game and the fact that they simply can no longer trust Jawaan Taylor.
