It won’t be a shocker if Andy Reid decides to bench Jawaan Taylor when the Chiefs face the Eagles in the Super Bowl rematch. Even if just for a little bit. The reasoning is simple: Taylor’s penalty issues have officially hit the pinnacle. Reid’s already shown he’s willing to make that call. A couple of years back, in a Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars in 2023, Taylor racked up five penalties and Reid benched him midway through the third quarter.

Ironically, this Eagles’ rematch is also Week 2, and once again, Taylor is the OT everyone’s watching… for all the wrong reasons. In the season opener against the Chargers, the 27-year-old OT handed out four penalties (two holds, two false starts), totaling 30 yards. While Reid hasn’t said outright that Taylor will get benched, Chiefs’ OC Matt Nagy made sure that Taylor knows he’s on thin ice heading into Week 2.

“Yeah, well, speaking to the obvious, the penalties can’t happen,” Nagy said. “And so, that’s where we’re at. We’ve made it loud and clear. Jawaan (Taylor) knows that. He understands it. It’s something that, especially in a moment like that, in that game, when things are a little bit off kilter now with the personnel, and you start to move the ball, you have a couple of positive plays, and then boom, a penalty or a second penalty.

“So, three penalties and a hold, not good enough. He knows that. There’s no one hiding from it, he’s not hiding from it. He understands what’s expected, and I think he’s ready for that challenge here as we go.” Nagy continued.

Taylor’s penalties have become a massive complication for the Chiefs. At one point against the Chargers, frustration got the better of even Travis Kelce, who straight-up barked at Taylor on the field.

But it isn’t just about the Week 1 penalties. In the past couple of years, the veteran has committed 36 penalties (16 in the last season and 20 the year before), despite signing a four-year, $80 million deal. On top of that, Taylor committed 58 penalties even before he joined the Chiefs. The writing is on the wall: Jawaan Taylor will be under the microscope heading into the Chiefs’ home opener. And as Matt Nagy observed, he isn’t hiding it.

Jawaan Taylor admits his mistakes before the Eagles’ clash

The last time the Chiefs faced the Eagles, they got completely dismantled, thanks to that 40-22 Super Bowl blowout earlier this year. Fast forward to now, and it’s a Super Bowl rematch, this time at Arrowhead. The Eagles are rolling in off a 24-20 win over Dallas, while the Chiefs are coming after a loss to the Chargers. “I look forward to the challenge of playing the Eagles,” Reid said.

“Good football team, obviously, and they know us. We know them, and should be a heck of a game.” But at the center of it? The Chiefs’ penalty issues, thanks to Jawaan Taylor’s poor outing in the season opener. While Matt Nagy has made it crystal clear that penalties just can’t happen, it remains to be seen whether Taylor can clean things up before Week 2… or if Reid’s patience finally runs out and he sits him down.

At the same time, the 27-year-old tackle recently admitted his mistake and his desire to eliminate the issues. “Not targeted, man,” Taylor told sports radio host Darren Smith during an open locker room session. “I’ve just got to be better. Eliminate (the penalties) as much as possible, so I don’t hurt the team and I’ve just got to be better overall.” That said, Taylor’s already owned up to his mistakes. Now it’s just a matter of seeing if Week 2 will finally serve as the wake-up call he needs.