Falcons Sign Super Champion As Kaleb McGary Replacement

The Atlanta Falcons moved quickly to replace their franchise right tackle with a Super Bowl-winning player from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Falcons signed Jawaan Taylor to replace the retired Kaleb McGary | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons moved quickly after their offensive line depth was dealt a stunning blow on Wednesday afternoon. Kaleb McGary announced that he would be retiring, but the Falcons signed former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor soon after. 

According to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, Taylor comes to the Falcons on a one-year deal. That contract is reportedly worth $5 million with an additional $1 million in incentives. He will compete for the starting role, but would be considered the current frontrunner for that position in 2026.

Taylor, 28, was released by the Chiefs in March following three seasons with the Chiefs. He was a heavily penalized player, picking up 54 over his years with the franchise. After signing a four-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs, the tackle has been a consistent starter for the Super Bowl LVIII winners. He started 17 games in 2023, 16 in 2024, and 12 in 2025. 

The former second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars (ironically in the same class as McGary back in 2019) has been a full-time starter since coming to the league. He has shown himself to be a durable player, appearing in 111 career games (all starts). Before last season, he missed just one start -- battling through a knee injury in 2024, but suffering an elbow injury that cost him the final five games of 2025.

Taylor will occupy the vacated blindside for a pair of left-handed quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., who will be competing for the starting job this summer. He projects as a reasonable upgrade from Elijah Wilkinson, who left the Falcons in free agency this offseason.

Their longtime offensive tackle had locked down the right side of their offensive line for the last six years, but the former first-round pick has been working to return from a leg injury that cost him a seventh in 2025. McGary started 92 games for the Falcons during that time, and he quickly developed a reputation as a ferocious run blocker. 

McGary signed a two-year, $30 million extension last offseason before suffering the injury that cost him his season at the tail end of training camp. His sudden retirement frees up about $14 million in cap space for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. 

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