Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor was a penalty magnet last season. Better days ahead?

For an athlete, being a statistical leader is usually a coveted role.

Not in this case.

Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor topped the NFL in penalties and penalty yards in 2023, and his 20 flagged infractions for 140 yards led the league by a wide margin.

But Taylor said the previous season’s problems are fading in his rear-view mirror.

“I wasn’t really frustrated about it,” he said. “I just had to keep doing my thing and try to get better every week.”

That happened as the season unfolded. After getting flagged for eight penalties in the first three games, Taylor slowed the pace over the rest of the season.

He had one accepted penalty in the Chiefs’ final three playoff games.

“I think he settled down in that last quarter of (last) season,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He finished strong, so that was a positive. He’s picking up in a good spot with OTAs and these (training camp) practices.”

Reid said Taylor’s early issues were self-inflicted.. In the season opener against Detroit Lions, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth called out Taylor after a false start penalty on the Chiefs’ first play of their final drive.

“You see Jawaan Taylor playing slot receiver finally got busted,” Collinsworth said on the broadcast.

Taylor hit a low point the next week, in the Chiefs’ victory at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was flagged five times: twice for false starts, twice for holding and once for illegal formation. Taylor was pulled from the action late in the game.

“He got away with a couple of things, as far as being deep, and then he got nailed for that, so that’s how it goes,” Reid said this week. “I think he learned a good lesson from last year.”

The Chiefs invested heavily in Taylor, who spent his first four seasons in Jacksonville and was a member of the NFL’s all-rookie team in 2019. Looking to replace Andrew Wylie, the Chiefs signed Taylor to a four-year, $80 deal. His average annual salary ranks him among the NFL’s top 11 for offensive linemen and third among right tackles.

Taylor said he arrived to training camp in St. Joseph in better shape than he did a year ago, and he’s worked on the penalty problems: “Getting up on the ball ... honing in on my technique and getting better with that.”

Taylor, a former Florida Gator, has no regrets about coming to Kansas City. In addition to his big payday, he was the starting right tackle for a Super Bowl champion after appearing in just two playoff games for the Jaguars over four seasons.

“One of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, honestly,” Taylor said. “I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, so moving to a different state, that was different. It was an adjustment, but I’m glad I made the decision to step outside of my comfort zone. We’re here now.”