The New York Giants may be eyeing former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor if the team decides to release him, a move that could reshape John Harbaugh’s offensive line and better protect young quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The link is strengthened by new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who previously worked in Kansas City, creating a natural pathway for former Chiefs players to reunite with a familiar system.
“Taylor, 28, played every snap in two Super Bowls for the Chiefs, winning one,” Greg Auman reports. “But he’s due to make $20 million in 2026, and the Chiefs are way over the cap, so he makes sense as one of their cuts.
“[Taylor has] led them in penalties in each of his three years in Kansas City – 41 accepted penalties in all – and the Chiefs have invested draft picks in their line to get ahead of this.
“Could he follow offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to the Giants? Pro Football Focus ranked him 76th out of 80 tackles this past season.”
Protecting Dart is a priority and allows the team to unleash Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers too, whilst experienced tackles rarely become available in free agency – especially ones with Super Bowl experience – so it could be a no brainer.
In New York, however, fans remain divided because current right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor has earned strong support after outperforming his modest contract.
Eluemunor’s energy and consistency have made him popular, yet he is due for a new deal, and a raise could narrow the cost gap between retaining him and pursuing a veteran like Taylor.
At 29, Taylor has already secured a lucrative contract and helped deliver a championship, meaning he may now prioritize stability and fit over maximizing salary on the open market.
If released, his availability would present the Giants with a classic dilemma – reward a proven contributor already in place or gamble on a bigger name with a higher ceiling but recent concerns.
Ultimately, the decision could define the protection around Dart for years, making Taylor not just a potential signing, but the player New York might quietly hope becomes available.
How will the Chiefs save by restructuring Patrick Mahomes?
Meanwhile the Chiefs converted $44.05 million of Patrick Mahomes’ 2026 base salary and a $10.4 million roster bonus into a fully guaranteed roster bonus, creating $43.56 million in immediate cap space, NFL Network’sTom Pelissero reported.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap first detailed the maneuver, which spreads the cap hit over the remaining years of Mahomes’ contract, reducing the 2026 impact from $78.214 million to $34.65 million.
The restructure also increases future seasons’ cap hits slightly, with 2027 now at $85.25 million, giving Kansas City flexibility to manage other roster moves and potentially re-sign veterans like Travis Kelce.
Mahomes, rehabbing from a knee injury, signed a 10-year, $450 million deal in 2020 that included built-in flexibility for restructures, and this move follows the plan to allow the team to stay competitive under the cap.
Next on the agenda could be similar adjustments for defensive tackle Chris Jones, who agreed to a $2 million signing bonus last season to reduce his cap hit – further demonstrating the Chiefs’ efforts to navigate salary limits. Travis Kelce may also return on a team-friendly deal too.
