Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 5 game vs. Jacksonville Jaguars could be RT Jawaan Taylor’s salvation or downfall

Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor’s last trip to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars didn’t go so well.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Kansas City Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor has a lot riding on the team’s Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

On one hand, it could be Taylor’s salvation for his ongoing penalty problems, but on the other, it could be his downfall. With a clean penalty sheet against the Jaguars in Week 5, Taylor could put together his first back-to-back games without a penalty since Week 15 and Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season. However, Taylor’s last trip to Jacksonville didn’t go as planned and featured one of the lowest moments of his Chiefs career.

Taylor is originally from Cocoa, Florida, just down the coast from Jacksonville. The Jaguars drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In just his second start with the Chiefs, Taylor returned home to Jacksonville to face his former team, and it didn’t go well. The performance came a week after NBC Sports color commentator Cris Collinsworth criticized him for the depth of his alignment in front of a national audience.

Taylor had a target on his back and had five penalties called on him during that Week 2 game of the 2023 NFL season. He was even temporarily benched against his former team after being penalized on back-to-back drives. Chiefs HC Andy Reid said he sat Taylor down for a couple of plays to help calm his nerves before putting him back into the game for the second half.

Reid was asked about the situation ahead of the upcoming matchup with the Jaguars.

“Well, it’s home, and he did play there at the same time,” Reid told reporters on Thursday. “I’m sure it will be emotional for him that way, and he knows the other part of that. He knows he has to focus in on not being too quick off the ball, but at the same time being quick. You have to be on time, spot on. He’s worked hard at that.”

Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor Penalty Problem in Week 2 of 2023 vs. Jaguars

  • False Start (Second Quarter: Second-and-9)
  • Illegal Formation (Second Quarter: Second-and-17)
  • Offensive Holding (Third Quarter: First-and-10)
  • Offensive Holding (Third Quarter: Second-and-17)
  • False Start (Fourth Quarter: Second-and-10)

The Chiefs’ Week 4 win over the Ravens marked the first time since last year’s AFC Championship Game that Taylor hadn’t been penalized in a game. The hope is that it’s the start of him turning the corner, as his seven total flags and six accepted penalties are still tied for the most in the NFL, with every other game in Week 5 already being played. Another clean day, in an environment that has already proven challenging for Taylor, would go a long way toward building confidence for a player who has been under scrutiny since his first game in Kansas City.

Jawaan Taylor isn’t the only Chiefs player who is getting a homecoming in Week 5

Taylor’s return will draw plenty of eyes, but he isn’t the only Chiefs player who will get a warm welcome in Jacksonville. Tyquan Thornton was born in Miami, Florida, where he attended Booker T. Washington High School. He played wide receiver, recording over 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while also serving as a quarterback.

Other Chiefs players with ties to Florida include WR Hollywood Brown (from Hollywood), DB Chamarri Conner (from Jacksonville), and DT Derrick Nnadi (played at FSU).

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