Over the past month, several high-profile beat writers and beat reporters have shared publicly about their split with the publication for one reason or another. And on Wednesday, the latest beat writer to announce their departure from The Athletic came from longtime Kansas City Chiefs beat writer Nate Taylor.
Fans of the Chiefs should be quite familiar with Taylor, who has served as the primary Chiefs beat writer for The Athletic since 2018. But his tenure came to an end on Wednesday. Taylor, who informed fans on social media that Wednesday was his last day with The Athletic.
“Today is my last day with The Athletic,” wrote Taylor. “The last seven years, as the company’s first Chiefs beat writer, have been the most fulfilling in my career. Being part of The Athletic’s rise & having my name & work become synonymous with the company was truly special. An enormous thank you to everyone who has followed my coverage of the Chiefs. My belief is that journalists often don’t say thank you enough to the people they aim to inform. I’m incredibly grateful that subscribers have respected, valued & appreciated the service I provided. Thank you.
“A few months into the job, Seth Keysor joined me. Even thought we didn’t know each other, we instantly became friends. When The Athletic wanted us to start a podcast, we knew exactly who should be the host: Joshua Brisco. With help from Danielle “Chip” Lehman, we created Time Ours, a show on the Chiefs that was silly, genuine & informative from three distinct perspectives. When Time Ours ended, the outpouring support was overwhelming & encouraging, leading us to join KCSN to continue under the perfectly-named Only Weird Games.
“In seven years, I experienced many humbling & rewarding moments. Holly, Hayden, and I mailed pieces of confetti from the field to thousands of fans, throughout America and several other countries, each time the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. The connective gesture led to fans donating almost $15,000 to Kansas City’s Ronald McDonald House. My reporting & writing was put into multiple books, something I never thought would happen. I even wrote about my love for Michael Taylor, my father. Our love for football led me toward this career.”
“My voice was chosen to showcase The Athletic’s value to sports fans through an ad for The Daily when the company joined The New York Times. As someone who wrote for The Times early in their career, it was a dream to have my work appear in the newspaper again. It was privilege to work alongside to many incredible journalists. I wish I could name everyone here. A heartfelt thank you to my tremendous editors, Amy Parlapiano, Brendan Roberts & Mike Sansone, & senior leadership (Lisa Wilson, Leon Carter, Steven Ginsberg, David Perpich, & Sarah Goldman. If you’re still reading, just know your support allowed me to do more in this job than I ever thought was possible.”
A quick announcement, if I can have a few minutes of your time. pic.twitter.com/COl2SvFslT
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) July 9, 2025
Taylor’s announcement comes just one day after Chicago Bears beat writer Adam Jahns similarly announced his departure from the publication and just ten days after Washington Commanders beat reporter Ben Standig did the same.
Standig alluded to the reason for his departure being that his contract was not renewed. And while Jahns and Taylor didn’t offer any insight as to what the exact reason for their respective departures were, it could very well be a sign that The Athletic may be moving away from regional reporting, or at least diling back it’s reach on the front.
Whether this is a sign of potentially even more departure to come from regional reporters at The Athletic or not, Taylor did receive plenty of praise from the Chiefs fan base on social media as he figures out what is next in his career.
You’re the best Nate. Thank you for all your efforts over the years. Extremely excited to see what’s next for you and looking forward to following your work wherever that may be.
— Kyle Henning (@kthen16) July 9, 2025
You’re incredible Nate! Have always enjoyed our chats and seeing your work💪🏼
— Hayley Lewis 👑 (@HayleyLewis_) July 9, 2025
Can’t wait to see what’s next for you man. Your work is fantastic
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) July 9, 2025