On Sunday, Kansas City’s right tackle explained the knee injury that limited him this offseason.
At the start of Kansas City Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western State University, tackle Jawaan Taylor was placed on the active/physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) due to a reported knee injury.
Although Taylor was activated less than a week into camp, he has reportedly rotated right tackle snaps with free agent signing Jaylon Moore. Taylor also missed practice altogether on Wednesday of last week.
Taylor was able to explain his situation to reporters after practice on Sunday.
“I had a knee scope back in March,” he revealed. “Then, I went on to Panama and had stem cell injection in May. So, I’ve just been treating it and trying to get my knee back healthy for the season.”
Shrewd fans may remember that, starting in Week 13, Taylor was listed on every Chiefs’ injury report with a knee injury through the end of the postseason. It turns out, the tackle was managing an injury suffered much earlier in the season.
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“It was pretty challenging,” he acknowledged. “I took a hit to the knee in Week 5, and then I played the whole season pretty much with that nagging knee injury. “I was getting my knee drained every week trying to prepare for the games and to just do what I can to be my best for the team every week. So, [I was] just fighting through every game.”
After the season, Taylor learned the injury was even worse than he realized. He knows it affected his play at times in 2024.
“Once I got my MRI at the end of the season,” he recalled, “I had a lot of wear and tear on my knee — just wear and tear behind the kneecap, I partially tore my meniscus, wear and tear on my patella — so, it definitely had an impact.”
Taylor never considered season-ending surgery to address the issue. He knew he could play through it from tearing his meniscus in the same knee while in college at Florida.
“Never,” he stressed, “because I did the same thing in college. I tore it in college, played the whole season on it, got the surgery out of the season, so I knew I could do it again. I’m a little older now, but I was like, ‘I can do it.’ So, I did it.”
Still, he knew that surgery would be required and that playing through the issue would take a toll.
“I’ll do anything to help my team win,” he declared. “So, if it’s just sacrificing my body, sacrificing my knee, whatever it is to go out there and help the team win — I’m willing to do that. I knew I had to get surgery at the end of the year, but I just kept fighting every week just to be my best.”
The six-year veteran offered advice for playing through and treating major injuries.
“You just keep the fight,” Taylor explained. “Just keep standing it, and just show up every day, Take the rehab seriously, and just take it one day at a time. It’s not going to get better overnight. You’ve definitely got to take it one day at a time. It’s a long process, but it’s worth it.”
Taylor did not seem concerned about competing with Moore for the right tackle position. Moore has also rotated with second-year pro Kingsley Suamataia at left guard.
“I feel like it just helps the team become better as a whole,” he remarked of offensive line competition. “At the end of the day, we definitely needed to help with the position. So, I’m glad that they brought guys in to help the team because, at the end of the day, we’re just trying to win and do what it takes to win.”
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One player who does not seem to be competing is rookie Joshua Simmons, who has taken every first-team snap at left tackle so far in camp. Echoing other players and coaches, Taylor is encouraged by the work he has his new teammate do with offensive line coach Andy Heck.
“[Simmons is] very talented,” Taylor observed, “very good rookie so far. He’s been soaking up all the things we’ve been teaching him — coach [Andy] Heck, the players, the veterans. I feel like he’s going to have a great career here for sure.”