Andy Reid Gives Updated Outlook on Jaylen Watson's Chances of Divisional Round Return
Ahead of their divisional round playoff game against the Houston Texans, the Kansas City Chiefs are getting back out on the practice field on Tuesday. Everyone on the active 53-man roster is expected to participate in some capacity, in addition to a major piece of Steve Spagnuolo's defensive puzzle.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson continues to make progress as he works his way back from an ankle injury suffered during the regular season. Now months removed from the ailment, there's growing optimism that the third-year man could get back in the lineup this weekend.
Head coach Andy Reid isn't doing much to slow that hype train down. In fact, Reid spoke to the media on Tuesday morning and provided a positive update on Watson's chances of playing on Saturday afternoon.
"I kind of want to see this week and see how he does but [from] what I've seen so far, it's been good," Reid said. "He's in good shape. I'm not telling you he can play a whole game, but I think he has a chance of playing. We'll see."
It was initially viewed as a pleasant surprise when Watson was designated to return from the injured reserve list on January 3, but he's steadily improved since then. The former seventh-round pick was last listed as a limited participant in practice leading up to Week 18's regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos, and he's gotten more work in from that point forward. The Chiefs' wild-card bye undoubtedly helped with the timing of his rehab.
Should Watson indeed return on Saturday, even for a small workload, it would be a big-time boost for the secondary. At the time of his injury, he'd played 91% of available defensive snaps on the year and emerged as a legitimate starting-caliber cornerback in the league. From Weeks 8-14 without him in the fold, Kansas City's defense ranked 29th in dropback EPA/play surrendered before closing out the 2024-25 campaign on a high note.
Experiments with Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson have had varying degrees of success, and the situation for cornerback No. 2 still doesn't seem settled. Steven Nelson isn't going to get activated unless absolutely necessary. The Chiefs' best solution, if he's remotely what he was in September and October, is Watson finding a way to get on the field.
The odds of that happening seem to be respectable as the week continues.