The Kansas City Chiefs are unbeaten through four weeks of the 2024 NFL season with a perfect 4-0 record. However, Andy Reid knows Patrick Mahomes and company still have plenty of work to do to aspire to a three-peat.
The Chiefs head coach, for instance, is concerned about the number of penalties committed by right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who was flagged five times in the first four games of the 2024 season. Four of them were false starts, which is why Reid warned the player to reduce these mistakes.
“He’s got to fix it; that’s the bottom line,” Reid said of Taylor’s false start penalties, via Arrowhead Pride. “He’s very quick off the ball and takes a lot of pride in that, but you’ve got to make sure you’re not offsides. He’s got to take care of that part, and he will.”
Taylor led the NFL with 19 offensive line penalties in 2023, but it doesn’t look like he’s learned from it. Last time out, the 25-year-old was penalized three times, with two false starts. While he plays a key role in protecting Mahomes, his penalties can also prove costly for Kansas City.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs high fives Jawaan Taylor #74 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the third quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Jawaan Taylor lets Andy Reid know he’ll work to reduce penalties
Taylor will probably want to take note of Reid’s advice, as the Chiefs head coach has already proven he can shake things up in the starting lineup if something is off. The Florida product vowed to improve, though.
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“Just getting off early, that’s all it was,” Taylor said about his three flags in the Chiefs’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. “Just keep honing in on it. Locking in on it and making sure I’m on time and not early.”
In March 2023, Taylor landed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His contribution proved instrumental to win Super Bowl LVIII, but Taylor can do even better to help Reid and Mahomes deliver yet another title.
