The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West in nine consecutive seasons.
That streak is in serious danger in 2025, though, as the Chiefs are currently in third place. The Denver Broncos enter Week 13 with a 9-2 record, while the Los Angeles Chargers are sitting at 7-4.
The Chiefs are surprisingly sitting at 6-6 after falling on Thanksgiving Day. It’s concerning that the team is struggling considering how expensive their roster is, and it will only get more expensive next year.
As of right now, the Chiefs are projected to have the least amount of effective cap space in 2026. As a result, the team may be forced to make some drastic moves, especially if they underperform in 2025.
Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors believes that starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor could be a cap casualty this offseason. Taylor joined the Chiefs on a big free agent deal ahead of the 2023 season.
Regarding Taylor’s potential release, Ulrich offered the following:
Kansas City currently ranks last in the league in projected effective cap space, with a $60 million deficit to rework before the start of the league year in March. Cutting Taylor would knock out a third of that, and considering the team is paying OT Jaylon Moore $15 million a year to be a swing tackle right now, it feels probable that Taylor will be chopped.
As Ulrich mentioned, the Chiefs are headed for dire financial straits and cutting Taylor would certainly provide some relief.
Taylor signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Taylor was a reliable starter for the Chiefs in 2023 and 2024, but he’s struggled for the most part in 2025.
Taylor has played in all 12 games so far in 2025, but he has a poor 53.3 PFF grade, which ranks 72nd out of 80 qualified tackles. Taylor has been penalized 13 times, which is more than any other tackle, and has allowed three sacks.
There’s an out in Taylor’s contract that would allow the team to cut the veteran and save about $20 million against the cap this offseason.
The Chiefs also wouldn’t have to worry about replacing Taylor considering they gave Jaylon Moore $15 million a year to be Taylor’s backup last offseason. It’s possible Moore would even be an upgrade over Taylor considering how the veteran has played in 2025.
