Jawaan Taylor has signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, including $1 million in incentives, to replace retired right tackle Kaleb McGary. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has joined the Buffalo Bills.
Jawaan Taylor signs with Falcons, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson joins Bills
Cocoa High graduate Jawaan Taylor signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced April 10.
Taylor is likely to step in as the Falcons' starting right tackle after the retirement of longtime starter Kaleb McGary on April 8.
Taylor was signed for a base value of $5 million and an additional $1 million in incentives.
Taylor spent the past three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting all 45 games in which he played.
He was released by the team last month, a move that saved the Chiefs $20 million against the salary cap.
Taylor was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2019 draft with the 35th overall pick.
During his four years with the Jaguars, Taylor started all 66 games.
After his rookie contract expired, Taylor signed with the Chiefs on a four-year, $80 million contract.
In hist first year with the Chiefs, he helped stabilize the offensive line as Kansas City won Super Bowl LVIII, becoming the NFL's first repeat champion in 20 years.
Taylor has started all 111 games in which he’s played across his seven seasons.
Taylor, who is 6-foot-5, 330 pounds and 28 years old, joins an offensive line that returns starters at all four other spots but will have a new position coach in Bill Callahan.
Atlanta had the eighth-best rushing offense last season, averaging nearly 126 yards per game, and allowed 26 sacks, which were the fourth-fewest in the league.
Taylor’s cousin and fellow Cocoa alum Chauncey Gardner-Johnson signed with the Buffalo Bills on March 13.
Gardner-Johnson spent the 2025 season with three different teams but finished the year on a high note as a key piece of the Chicago Bears’ defense. He appeared in 10 games, starting seven, recording 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions.
Gardner-Johnson is a seven-year NFL veteran who started his career with the Saints in 2019 as a fourth round selection. He was traded to the Eagles ahead of the 2022 season and started in 12 games with a career-high 6 interceptions for the eventual NFC Champions.
Gardner-Johnson played for the Lions in 2023, then returned to the Eagles in 2024 where he started 16 regular season games and all four postseason games en route to a Super Bowl championship.
During the 2024 season, Gardner-Johnson recorded 59 tackles, 6 interceptions and notched his first-ever pick-six against the Cowboys in Week 17.
In March 2025, he was traded to the Texans and started the first three games before being released and signing with the Ravens’ practice squad. He was subsequently released a week later and signed with Chicago on Oct. 29 after CB Kyler Gordon was placed on injured reserve.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Jawaan Taylor signs with Falcons, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson joins Bills
Jawaan Taylor's contract with the Falcons is worth $5 million, with an additional $1 million available in incentives.
The Falcons signed Jawaan Taylor to fill the starting right tackle position following the retirement of Kaleb McGary.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has joined the Buffalo Bills.
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