2023 Free Agency: Jaguars Set To Lose Jawaan Taylor to the Chiefs

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a new starting right tackle in 2023.

After every Jaguars game over the last four seasons saw Jawaan Taylor take the starting right tackle spot, Taylor will now play elsewhere after signing a megadeal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal is a four-year, $80 million contract with $60 million guaranteed.

The Jaguars traded up in the second round to select Taylor with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Taylor appeared and started in all 68 games in his four years in Jacksonville, including 19 starts at right tackle in 2022.

Taylor had a career season in 2022, proving to be the Jaguars' top pass-blocker as the offense elevated to top-10 status under head coach Doug Pederson. The Jaguars made efforts to retain Taylor, but it always seemed like a long-shot based on the market his strong play last season created.

"We're encouraged by the fact that Jawaan wants to be in Jacksonville. And again, all the guys that we're talking about that are our current free agents would like to be back," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said on Tuesday.

"But it's a business, we understand it, they understand it, and it's impossible to re-sign everybody at maybe what they're looking to get from a max standpoint. But I believe that every deal there's a win-win. At some point within the negotiation, you can come to a compromise that both sides feel good. And that's that's what we're shooting to do is find deals that are win-wins for, for them and for us."

The Jaguars will now have to find a new starter at right tackle, with third-year offensive tackle Walker Little the leading option as of today. Little competed with Taylor for the starting right tackle gig last training camp, a battle that went all the way down to the wire.

Little played just 20 snaps at right tackle in 2022, but head coach Doug Pederson lauded his versatility during the combine.

“You never know what you’ve got until you get them on the field. Walk got a great chance to go out there and show his value as a player. It’s a balancing act. You’ve got good players," Baalke said at the Combine.

"You’ve got a good young player in Jawaan (Taylor) who played at a high level. You’ve got a good young player in Walk that played at a high level when he got an opportunity, so we’re just going to, again, to assess the roster, talk to the coaches, which we have a lot of collaboration back and forth and just try to make the best decision for us, but bringing Jawaan back is something that we would like to do.”