Chiefs Activate CB Jaylen Watson from Injured Reserve for Divisional Round vs. Texans

The Kansas City Chiefs are getting a key piece back for the divisional round against the Texans, as Jaylen Watson is coming off IR.
Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) celebrates after an interception in the end zone by Chiefs safety Deon Bush (not pictured) against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) celebrates after an interception in the end zone by Chiefs safety Deon Bush (not pictured) against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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As the Kansas City Chiefs close in on their Saturday playoff matchup with the Houston Texans, they're getting some huge news on the injury front. A key member of Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt's secondary is making the jump back to the 53-man roster.

Now official on the NFL's transaction wire, Kansas City is activating cornerback Jaylen Watson from the injured reserve list. The third-year man is now expected to play – and potentially start – in the divisional round. The Chiefs also elevated defensive back Deon Bush and linebacker Swayze Bozeman from the practice squad.

This marks a full-circle moment for Watson, who suffered a fractured fibula in Week 7's win over the San Francisco 49ers. After undergoing surgery and subsequently being placed on IR, the former seventh-round pick spent over two months recovering from the ailment.

Watson's 2024-25 season was initially viewed by most as over, but the Chiefs made a surprising move by designating him to return from IR earlier this month. He managed to make a good first impression at practice, later getting another vote of confidence from head coach Andy Reid regarding the chance of a divisional round return.

"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."

On Thursday, Reid praised Watson for his approach in working his way back.

"Well, he's worked tremendously hard to get himself to this point, first of all," Reid said. "We'll just see how that goes as far as the game reps and all of that, but he sure has worked hard to get himself even to this point right here."

The team continued to monitor Watson's progress and after he was a full participant in practice throughout the week, they deemed him ready to rejoin the secondary for the most important stretch of the year. Spagnuolo acknowledged how important Wednesday and Thursday's practices were in making that decision.

Speaking to the media this week, cornerback Trent McDuffie explained what getting Watson back on defense will mean for Kansas City.

"I mean, he's a vet," McDuffie said. "He's one of those guys that has been in this system for three years, has played in all the big games, has made his plays and I know he's someone I know that the coaches and everybody around here trusts a lot out there. One of those guys that can come back in and have a physical advantage – his length, his size – really good in man coverage. Some of that, I think we've been missing as far as just the DB room as DBs, you know what I mean?

"I love whenever we get guys that come back and they've kind of been away from it for a little bit because they're able to see things we don't see. They're able to see how this defense looked on the outside. Someone to come in and bring their input to the game and say, 'You know what? Let's go out there and win this game.'"

Joshua Brisco of Kansas City Chiefs On SI also touched on the Watson situation, making the case for the activation being a playoff-altering move by the reigning champs.

"It's hard to accurately explain the impact of Watson's return without sounding hyperbolic," Brisco wrote. "Watson was playing stupendous football at a position of need before his injury. He wasn't L'Jarius Sneed, but he was replacing Sneed well enough for the Chiefs' defense to continue operating as if they had two top-shelf cornerbacks. In Watson's absence, the Chiefs's third-through-sixth corners failed to reach anything near Watson's previous level. If — and it is still an "if" — Watson can return to the field at even 75% of his previous capacity, he'll raise the level of the Chiefs' defense. If he's near 100%, the Chiefs may have the best defense in football.

"Watson's pairing with Trent McDuffie allows defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to get back to his exotic and carefully timed blitzes without worrying about how long KC's corners can survive on an island. If McDuffie wants to follow No. 1 receivers like Nico Collins across the field (and into the slot), Watson and Joshua Williams can provide solid outside coverage while McDuffie kicks inside. Better overall secondary play means more time for the Chiefs' up-and-down pass rush to get to the quarterback.

"Even though he only plays cornerback, Watson's return will improve the entire defense if he looks anything like his former self."

Watson, the 243rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has provided surplus value for Kansas City since entering the league. Following the departure of Sneed during the offseason, the former Washington State standout truly grew into a formidable piece opposite McDuffie. At the time of his injury, Watson had played a career-high 91% of available snaps on defense while posting personal bests in completion percentage (53.3) and passer rating (75.4) allowed in coverage. His 74.2 Pro Football Focus coverage grade ranks 28th out of 223 cornerbacks in the database for the year.

The rich get richer, as the Chiefs are finally healthy heading into their slate of playoff football.

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Jordan Foote
JORDAN FOOTE

Jordan Foote is the deputy editor of Kansas City Chiefs On SI. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media.