The Kansas City Chiefs’ prep for the 2025 heats up this week with the first preseason game of the summer on Saturday. There’s a ton of attention being paid to the offensive line with first-round pick Josh Simmons and free-agent signing Jaylon Moore among the new faces in town.
One of the key veterans tasked with protecting Patrick Mahomes this season is Jawaan Taylor, who’s left fans wanting more with his play since joining the team in 2023.
However, on Sunday, the KC faithful learned about a serious injury Taylor suffered in 2024 that helps explain some of his performance.
Chiefs Vet Jawaan Taylor Drops Injury Bombshell Before Preseason Game
There is no doubt that NFL players are among the toughest athletes in professional sports. Given the type of hits they take week in and week out, no one is ever truly 100% healthy.
With that being said, few players go through what Taylor endured during the 2024 campaign, and he explained that in detail while meeting with the media on Sunday, via Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com.
Jawaan Taylor says he had a scope done in March on his left knee and then went to Panama for a stem cell treatment. Says he took a hit in Week 5 that required him to have his drained weekly last season but persevered thru injury because team needed him. pic.twitter.com/VOECo1j1uU
https://twitter.com/mattderrick/status/1952046143967567917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Taylor revealed he suffered a knee injury in Week 5 that required offseason surgery and even traveled to Panama for cell treatment to help with the rehab. But he also needed weekly drainings during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run as well.
Having your knee drained weekly for that long a period sounds like an absolutely miserable experience for Taylor to go through. The fact that he put himself through that just so that he could be on the field with his teammates, contributing to the best of his abilities, should be commended.
There are plenty of players who would prioritize their long-term health at the age of 27 over playing through an injury for that long. The frustrations with Taylor being a regular member of the injury report last season made sense at the time, but should be viewed in a different light with this revelation.
With Taylor set to earn $19.5 million during the 2025 campaign, the former second-round pick out of the University of Florida must be at his best this season. If he isn’t, Kansas City will have the ability to get out of the final year of his contract, as there was an out clause after year three of the four-year, $80 million contract Taylor signed in 2023.
What happens moving forward is anyone’s guess. We can say that Taylor’s commitment to the Chiefs and his teammates should not be questioned, though, with this news coming to light on Sunday.
