Falcons ‘pleased’ with Jawaan Taylor’s progress as offensive line takes shape
INDIANAPOLIS — When the Falcons lost starting right tackle Kaleb McGary to retirement in early April, they wasted no more than a few hours signing his replacement, Jawaan Taylor. Ever since, they’ve been forced to wait, and wait, and wait for him to prove them right.
The wait is over. And Taylor, with a bit of rust still present after finishing his fifth practice this summer Thursday, has given the Falcons reason for optimism.
“Good to get Jawaan going in some team drills with us, and I thought there were some really good moments out there, and then also some moments where you can see he’s still working through the time off,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Thursday. “So, pleased with where he is.
“He’s a guy that I’ve witnessed putting in so much work to get back out here.”
Taylor, who’s started 111 games and two Super Bowls since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in 2019, missed all of OTAs, mandatory minicamp and the first nine practices of training camp because of knee surgery in March.
It was just a cleanup, Taylor told reporters Wednesday, and was nothing crazy, but it proved extensive enough for him to spend the past five months rehabbing and getting himself back to full health.
Taylor said he feels “a lot better now,” and as the Falcons steadily ramp-up his snap count in practice, he’s pleased with his acclimation back onto the field.
“It’s going really well, man,” Taylor said. “Have a great plan around me, just listening to the front office, the things they want me to do each day and working in the weight room, working on the field to get myself back to exactly where I want to be.”
Taylor’s 2025 season with the Kansas City Chiefs ended after 12 games because of a triceps injury. He said it took about 12 weeks to completely heal, and afterward, he immediately resumed bench-pressing and doing the rest of his traditional offseason workout schedule with his upper body.
The 28-year-old Taylor has spent a vast majority of the past nine months rehabbing separate injuries to his knee, elbow and triceps. But the process, he said, hasn’t taken a toll on him.
“It’s really not difficult mentally if you come in with the right mindset every day,” Taylor said. “Just attack each day and get 1% better every day. And that’s what I do.”
Though he missed the Falcons’ first 21 practices this offseason, Taylor remained present around the team. Stefanski said the 6-foot-5, 330-pounder was “extremely dialed in” during meetings and was a common participant in walk-throughs, which helped him grasp offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ system despite not taking any live snaps.
And while he handled his business away from the spotlight, Taylor admitted life grew difficult.
“It’s always really tough seeing your brothers out there playing ball and you’re just on the sidelines kind of rehabbing,” Taylor said. “But I just kept coming in, keeping my head down, working every day. And had a great team, great group around me. So, it just kept me motivated and I’m just glad to be back out here.”
Before Taylor returned to practice, Stefanski didn’t commit to him being the team’s starting right tackle. Taylor “doesn’t get caught up on that,” Stefanski said, and the Falcons planned to work him into the fold and make decisions when the time arrived.
The time came, and over the past two weeks, the Falcons appear to have made up their mind.
Taylor worked as the first-team right tackle in team periods during the Falcons’ training camp practice Monday, and again during joint practices with the Colts on Wednesday and Thursday. He didn’t play every snap as the team continued his ramp-up process, but when Taylor was on the field, he was with the starters.
Penalties have long been the question with Taylor, who’s been flagged a league-worst 74 times since 2021, according to Pro Football Focus.
But Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said this spring he believes Taylor can bring value as both a run blocker and pass protector, and the team’s offensive line held up better with Taylor in the fold against the Colts.
Taylor is a particularly key cog to the Falcons’ offense, which features left-handed quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. For the first time as a pro, Taylor will be the blindside blocker.
It’s something he admits crosses his mind “from time to time,” though he doesn’t fixate on any thoughts of added pressure or responsibility.
“At the end of the day, it’s just ball,” Taylor said. “I just got to go out there and do my job and help the team in every way I can.”
Taylor described the Falcons’ joint practices with the Colts as “a lot of fun.” It was a challenge, but he savored the chance to compete. He grew too familiar with watching practices off to the side and not battling as one artist in a five-man band.
The Falcons hope, with Taylor’s return, more fun follows for their offense. If nothing else, their initial plan to replace McGary is coming to fruition. And Taylor, after five months on the shelf, has hit the ground running.