Report: Chiefs Restructure Jawaan Taylor's Contract to Create Cap Room

Ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs are moving some money around with Jawaan Taylor's contract to gain some salary cap space.

Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) drops back to pass as offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) gets ready to block during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is on the horizon and while the Kansas City Chiefs have already made one big-time move by swapping for wideout DeAndre Hopkins, could another transaction be imminent?

Friday at least leaves the door open for it. According to a morning report from Field Yates of ESPN, right tackle Jawaan Taylor's contract is being restructured. That lever being pulled by Kansas City converts some of Taylor's salary into a signing bonus, thus freeing up an additional $5.3 million in available salary cap space for the rest of the season.

"With cap space tight after the DeAndre Hopkins trade, the Chiefs restructured the contract of OT Jawaan Taylor by converting salary into a signing bonus, creating $5.3M in 2024 room," Yates tweeted.

Taylor, 27, was already under contract for this year and two subsequent years with base salaries of $19.5M. Next year's $20M in money (including a $500,000 workout bonus) was previously guaranteed, so the veteran tackle was locked in for the 2025-26 campaign anyway. In theory, this conversion should add half of that $5.3M hit – $2.65M – to his cap number for each of the next two years.

After getting off to a rocky start to his Chiefs tenure, Taylor outlined the work he did to bounce back in 2024. That's exactly what he's done, as Zack Eisen of Kansas City Chiefs On SI recently broke down his play earlier this month.

"According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor has played 199 pass block snaps this season and allowed nine pressures, good for a pressure rate allowed of 4.52%," Eisen wrote. "Comparing that to other tackles the Chiefs have had as their primary starters since the departures of Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, we can see that Taylor is on pace for the lowest figure in four years. Granted, Kansas City's tackle situation has been in flux over that period, but Taylor has still been the best and even produced the fourth-best pressure rate last season in what was the worst year of his career."

While the Tennessee Titans reportedly absorbed $2.5M of money in the aforementioned Hopkins trade, this gives the Chiefs some flexibility down the stretch. With cornerback Jaylen Watson on injured reserve, defensive end Charles Omenihu still on the physically unable to perform list and overall depth always being a plus, general manager Brett Veach can make a value add if he sees fit.

Not a ton changes for Taylor, and his team now has the chance to get better before the playoffs if it so chooses. It's a win-win restructure in Kansas City.

Read More: DeAndre Hopkins on Returning to 'Meaningful Football' in Kansas City, New Number Choice