The Kansas City Chiefs found their starting left tackle for 2023, and it isn’t Orlando Brown.
Kansas City reportedly agreed to sign Jawaan Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Taylor's contract includes $60 million guaranteed, per Schefter, which is the most for an offensive lineman in the NFL. Taylor, 25, started every game for the Jacksonville Jaguars over the past four seasons after he was drafted No. 35 overall in 2019.
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Taylor will take over for Brown, who is Frank Scwab's No. 1 free agent this spring. Multiple reports noted the Chiefs' decision to sign Taylor means the team won't bring back Brown, who joined Kansas City in a trade from the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 and played on the non-exclusive franchise tag in 2022.
With the ambiguity around Brown following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, the move to sign Taylor ensures Kansas City will still have an elite pass-blocker for Patrick Mahomes heading into 2023. Taylor had the third-lowest pressure rate among tackles in 2022, according to CBS’ Keff Kerr, and allowed only five sacks when he was a right tackle for Jacksonville.
