Falcons sign OT Jawaan Taylor after Kaleb McGary’s retirement
Atlanta moves swiftly to lock up an experienced starting right tackle.
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 12: Jawaan Taylor #74 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs out of the tunnel prior to an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Atlanta Falcons didn’t wait around long to sign a potential replacement for retiring right tackle Kaleb McGary . Per Adam Schefter, they’ve agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with veteran Jawaan Taylor with up to $1 million in incentives available.
Taylor will likely compete to start with a rookie—2026 NFL Draft pending—and will likely be considered the favorite in that competition. Falcons and former Chiefs free-agent offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor reached agreement today on a one-year deal with a base value of $5 million and an additional $1 million in incentives, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey. pic.
twitter. com/NhoXjoYMVj — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 8, 2026 Taylor, 28, comes to Atlanta fresh off a three-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Jacksonville Jaguars second round pick, who was selected after McGary back in 2019, has been a full-time starter since he arrived in the league, appearing in 111 games and starting all of them.
He had been pretty durable, too, missing just one contest in his NFL career before 2025, when an elbow injury cost him the final five games of the season. I should note that he did battle a knee injury throughout 2024, as well, even if he played through it. The durability will matter a great deal for a team that had to start its third-string tackle for the entire 2025 season, and Taylor’s always offered competent pass protection at right tackle, where he’s played all but 34 of his NFL snaps.