Jawaan Taylor Decision Ends Up a Win-Win for Both Jaguars & Chiefs
11 months ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost one of their youngest and brightest talents when right tackle Jawaan Taylor left in free-agency, signing a four-year, $80 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fast forward to today, and it is fair to say everyone benefitted from the decision, from the Jaguars to the Chiefs and especially to Taylor himself.
Taylor woke up a champion on Monday, starting at right tackle for the Chiefs in their 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
The Chiefs capped off their third Super Bowl win in five years, with Taylor committing zero penalties and allowing zero sacks to All-World pass-rusher Nick Bosa.
The Jaguars have a new cornerstone right tackle in 2023 first-rounder Anton Harrison, along with a future third-round compensatory pick as a result of Taylor's departure.
In a league where so many decisions end up with zero winners or otherwise lopsided results, Taylor's megadeal with the Chiefs and departure from Jacksonville features nothing but best-case outcomes.
This wasn't a lock to be the case at any point, but Sunday's win effectively made it one of the best win-win scenarios in recent free-agent history.
The Jaguars managing to replace Taylor seamlessly was far from a sure thing. Taylor had started every single game for the Jaguars over the previous four seasons and was fresh off a career year in 2022, anchoring the right side of the line during a Jaguars playoff run.
But Harrison was able to step into Taylor's old spot and quickly display the consistency and pass-protection talent of his predecessor. After a rough Week 2 game against the Chiefs and Chris Jones, Harrison became the most efficient rookie tackle in 2023 and one of the best pass-blocking right tackles in general.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, were able to weather the early storm that Taylor's addition brought. From a rash of holding penalties to the controversy over Taylor's pre-snap alignment and timing of the snap -- which was a talking point during his Jaguars' days -- there were some rough stretches.
But Taylor settled in and eventually became a key cog in the Chiefs' Super Bowl win, earning his first ring. And, for once, the Jaguars can look at the success of a former player and not feel any sense of regret.
