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Atlanta Falcons to sign OT Jawaan Taylor following Kaleb McGary retirement

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp04/08/26

Shortly after the news that veteran right tackle Kaleb McGary was retiring was announced by the Atlanta Falcons, a subsequent roster move to shore up the position was made. Atlanta has signed former Kansas City offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter broke the news on Wednesday afternoon. He reported that Taylor will ink a one-year deal with a base value of $5 million, with up to $1 million more unlockable in incentives.

Jawaan Taylor has been with the Kansas City Chiefs for the past three years. He initially began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound tackle played in 12 games last season. He logged 45 appearances in total with the Chiefs.

Originally, Jawaan Taylor was a high second-round draft pick by Jacksonville. He was selected with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Interestingly enough, that was just four picks after McGary was picked by the Falcons.

Kaleb McGary announces retirement

Jawaan Taylor will help fill a void for Atlanta that formed in fall camp last year. Following an injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025 season, Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Kaleb McGary has retired. The NFL franchise announced the news on Wednesday afternoon.

McGary, who is a former first-round draft pick and was an every down starter for Atlanta since 2019, suffered a brutal left leg injury in camp ahead of the 2025 season. He had to be carted off the field.

Though the Falcons didn’t specify the exact reasoning for Kaleb McGary’s retirement that likely played a part. Former quarterback Matt Ryan was complimentary of McGary’s time with the Falcons. Now the president of football operations for the franchise, Ryan also weighed in via press release.

“I truly enjoyed my time playing alongside Kaleb,” Ryan said. “He was an outstanding teammate and had a tremendous career as a Falcon. We are grateful for the impact he made on this organization, and we wish him nothing but the best in retirement.”