FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have officially signed free agent offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.
A second-round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 NFL Draft, Taylor has started 111 games across his seven seasons of action. After spending his first four seasons in Jacksonville, where he helped the team finish as a top-10 unit in rushing yards per play in 2021 and 2022, Taylor signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent during the 2023 offseason. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl in Taylor's first year with the team and returned to the league's championship game in 2024.
Taylor's signing comes in the wake of Kaleb McGary's retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. McGary, a first-round pick in the 2019 draft, started at right tackle for Atlanta in each of his first six seasons but missed the 2025 season after sustaining a knee injury on the final day of training camp. Reserve swing tackle Storm Norton also missed the 2025 season due to injury, and the Falcons turned to Elijah Wilkinson for the duration of the year.
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham emphasized building through the trenches during his introductory press conference, and Taylor, who is 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, is an experienced starter who has played virtually all of his professional snaps at right tackle and has three seasons of playoff experience under his belt. Taylor joins an offensive line that returns starters at all four other spots but will have a new position coach in Bill Callahan.
Atlanta had the eighth-best rushing offense last season, averaging just shy of 126 yards per game, and allowed 26 sacks, which were the fourth-fewest in the league. Taylor is known for his abilities as a pass blocker, which will be an important skill for anyone on the right side of the Falcons' offensive line. With Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, both of whom are left-handed, competing for the starting role at quarterback, the right tackle now becomes the primary blind-side protector in Atlanta's offense.
