The Kansas City Chiefs have already made efforts to get closer to the cap limit, with free agency and the start of the league year less than three weeks away. They have restructured Patrick Mahomes‘ contract and cut defensive end Mike Danna.
But there is still one big ace in the hole that the franchise has yet to play, releasing right tackle Jawaan Taylor.
The Chiefs can save $20 million in 2026 by moving off him, and in doing so they give themselves around $14 million in cap space to spend on extensions or external free agent purchases.
And in this hypothetical scenario, Kansas City use that freed up space to make a move for San Francisco 49ers left tackle, Trent Williams.
Chiefs Could Target Potential Free Agent Tackle
Williams, according to Adam Schefter, could be released by the 49ers if he and the team cannot come to an agreement to restructure his deal in 2026.
“With five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season, he and the 49ers currently are struggling to find a contractual solution, per league sources.” Schefter reported on Tuesday.
“If the two sides can’t bridge their differences in their standoff, Williams would be expected to join this year’s free-agent class, making him one of the premier players available.”
In that case, a legitimate destination could end up being Kansas City, Missouri – who could well be short a tackle this coming season.
Trent Williams A Possible Replacement For Jawaan Taylor?
Jawaan Taylor has been a disappointment since joining the Chiefs in March 2023, signing a four year $80 million deal.
Having had an excellent four years playing right tackle in Jacksonville since being drafted with the 35th overall pick back in 2019, Kansas City signed him to a multi-year extension to come in and play left tackle as the immediate replacement for Orlando Brown Jr., who signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in that same free agency period.
Taylor struggled at left tackle, and was eventually moved back to the right hand side, where his play did not get much better.
The Chiefs could be interested in giving fellow 49ers offensive tackle Jaylon Moore a chance to start, having had him act as the swing tackle last season after signing him to a two year, $30 million deal in March 2025. Yet Williams is an All-World type of player, even at 37 years of age, and is coming off another All-Pro season in which he started 16 games.
In this scenario, Williams and former first round pick Josh Simmons occupy the bookend tackle spots, whilst Moore remains the swing-tackle, or perhaps shifts inside to guard in place of Kingsley Suamataia.
Williams is not a long-term option by any means as player entering his 17th year in the league, who has managed over 200 starts in the NFL. But if he is even a remotely similar player to the one he has been in San Francisco over the past six years, he will be an immediate game changer for the Chiefs’ offense, particularly in the run game.