PHOENIX, AZ — The Arizona Cardinals officially ended the Kyler Murray era five days ago, eating a massive $36.8 million guaranteed cap hit to move into a new age of football. Now, head coach Mike LaFleur and GM Monti Ossenfort are aggressively patching the hull. After securing veteran guard Isaac Seumalo and receiver Kendrick Bourne, the focus has shifted to the edge. The Cardinals are one right tackle away from a complete offensive line overhaul, and the answer is sitting on the open market: Jawaan Taylor.
The Final Piece of the Protection Puzzle
Arizona entered this offseason with two anchors: left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and center Hjalte Froholdt. They added Seumalo on a three-year, $31.5 million deal to lock down the left guard spot. But the right side remains a revolving door. While the team brought in Elijah Wilkinson and Matt Pryor for depth, neither represents a long-term solution for a team that surrendered 48 sacks last season.
Taylor, recently released by the Kansas City Chiefs to clear $20 million in cap space, is the highest-ceiling option available. Despite a reputation for drawing yellow flags—he finished 2025 with 13 penalties—the tape tells a more nuanced story. Taylor allowed just three sacks and 20 total pressures in 12 starts last year before an elbow injury ended his season. In LaFleur’s heavy 13-personnel packages, a tackle with Taylor’s athleticism is a necessity, not a luxury.
- Stat to Watch: Taylor has 111 career NFL starts at age 28.
- The Need: Arizona’s current projected starter at RT, Elijah Wilkinson, allowed six sacks in 2025.
- The Market: Experts project a deal around $15 million per year for the former Chief.
“We are building a culture of toughness and reliability. Every move we make in free agency is designed to give our quarterbacks, whoever is under center, the best possible chance to succeed. We aren’t done yet.”
— Monti Ossenfort, Cardinals General Manager
Draft Flexibility: The Real Prize
Signing Taylor does more than just protect Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew in the short term. It fundamentally changes how Arizona approaches the 2026 NFL Draft. By securing a veteran tackle now, Ossenfort avoids the trap of reaching for a lineman at the No. 3 overall pick.
With the offensive line stabilized, the Cardinals can focus on the best player available—whether that is a transformative edge rusher or the next franchise quarterback. The addition of Tyler Allgeier already signaled a shift toward a ground-and-pound philosophy. Adding Taylor’s 328-pound frame to the right side would turn that philosophy into a physical reality. The atmosphere at State Farm Stadium is shifting; for the first time in years, the Cardinals look like a team with a clear, disciplined blueprint.
