The Kansas City Chiefs are already facing a major uphill climb heading into the final turn in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills. It's going to be even tougher after watching right tackle Jawaan Taylor dealing with an injury.
On a 2nd-and-8 play near the start of the fourth quarter, the Chiefs suffered more than one offensive setback on the same play. Not only did Bills defensive end Joey Bosa—that sounds weird—end up beating Jaylon Moore easily to be able to sack Patrick Mahomes for a nine-yard loss, but the team also watched Taylor go down with an injury in the aftermath.
Taylor went down with a right ankle injury and was seen on the sidelines getting attention from the Chiefs' training staff. He was termed "[questionable to return](https://x.com/Chiefs/status/1985132689960116593)" by the team shortly thereafter.
The Chiefs' offensive line keeps taking hits with an ankle injury for Jawaan Taylor.
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After Taylor was forced out for the rest of the series, he was replaced on the right side by Wanya Morris, who has served as the primary swing tackle in recent seasons after being selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The good news is that the Chiefs were able to dig themselves out of a couple of significant holes on that drive—including a 4th-and-17—to find the end zone. Mahomes found Rashee Rice wide open for a 29-yard gain, and Kareem Hunt capped the drive with a touchdown. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce with a quick strike to convert the two-point attempt to bring K.C. within 7 points, with Buffalo still holding a 28-21 lead.
The Chiefs are dealing with serious depth concerns at tackle if Taylor's injury is anything serious. First-round rookie Josh Simmons is already away from the team while dealing with a personal matter. That's forced Jaylon Moore, who has taken over the swing tackle role from Morris in 2025, into the starting lineup for most of the last month on the left side.
Taylor joined the Chiefs as a big-ticket free agent in 2023 and settled in at right tackle at a pivotal time with both starting tackles Andrew Wylie and Orlando Brown Jr. departing the Chiefs. While Taylor's penchant for penalties has drawn considerable criticism during his tenure, Taylor is also a very good pass protector who has been playing great football in the last month while limiting his mistakes.
The good news is terms of timing is that the Chiefs are now heading into a bye week, giving Taylor and every other banged-up player the chance to recuperate for 14 days before having to visit Mile High Stadium in Week 11 for an important divisional contest against the Denver Broncos. If Taylor's injury is temporary, the ability to recover over the bye could keep him from missing any more snaps for Kansas City.