Chiefs vs. Texans Injury Report, Jaylen Watson Update from Steve Spagnuolo

With the Chiefs' divisional round game against the Texans approaching, cornerback Jaylen Watson keeps making positive strides in his recovery from an ankle injury.
Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) stands on the field during warmup prior to the Chiefs' game 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) stands on the field during warmup prior to the Chiefs' game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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With a divisional round playoff game against the Houston Texans on the horizon, the Kansas City Chiefs continued their week of practice on Wednesday afternoon. Everyone on the active roster was a participant again, and even cornerback Jaylen Watson (injured reserve) got some work in.

For the second day in a row, Watson was listed as a full participant in practice. This is a major development for the veteran defensive back in his attempt to return from a fractured fibula suffered in October's Week 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers. After surgery and rehab, he had his 21-day practice window opened earlier this month upon being designated to return from IR.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo provided an update on Watson and stressed how important this practice and the subsequent one are.

"Yeah, so he's been out there a little," Spagnuolo said. "We had last week, those couple of practices, and he had yesterday. Of course, yesterday was a no-helmets practice, which is a little bit different. Him and I spoke this morning – I think these next two days will be really important because hopefully, we're going to get outside here, we'll have helmets and at least shells on. He needs to get up to the speed of the game, and it's not regular-season speed, right? It's playoff speed. So we'll see where we're at and make a good decision at the end of the week."

What Jaylen Watson's return could do for the Chiefs' defense

Earlier this week, star Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie explained the significance of Watson getting back to practice.

"It's huge," McDuffie said. "Jaylen's one of those guys in the DB room that has a lot of energy. When you see him on the practice field, he's dancing, he's smiling. It's great to get guys coming back from injury, whether it's been two weeks or two months. I think he's doing really well. I think he's able to move around very well. You can tell that he's still retained the information. He's going out there and it doesn't really look like he's coming off an injury. He's still gonna have to get his football shape back but as far as everything I've seen, he's looking really good. I think he's done a great job as far as his recovery and getting back right."

Joshua Brisco of Kansas City Chiefs On SI also expanded on Watson's progress, setting the scene for a potentially impactful reintroduction for the third-year cornerback in the postseason.

"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."

Chris Jones, Isiah Pacheco and others still tracking to play on Saturday

The Chiefs got more good news on the injury front on Wednesday. After they were all full participants in practice on Tuesday, key players like defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf), running back Isiah Pacheco (ribs) and right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) all carried the same designation once again. That group also includes safety Chamarri Conner (shoulder) and left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring).

The non-Watson player to watch this week is wideout Mecole Hardman, who went on IR in December with a knee injury and missed Week 18's regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos after his practice window was opened. Hardman was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice and was limited again on Wednesday. His involvement on Thursday is certainly worth monitoring as the weekend approaches.

Read More: Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes Ready for Challenge of 'Extremely Real' Texans Defense


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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.