Chiefs Adding Justin Watson to Insulate WR Room Amid Flurry of Roster Moves

Coming out of their Week 5 bye, the Kansas City Chiefs have the chance to take down yet another divisional foe when they square off against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. As a new week of practice soon begins, though, there will be a new face entering the fold.

New to the 2026 Chiefs, at least, as it's a familiar friend signing with the team. Reported by Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network, Kansas City is signing wide receiver Justin Watson to the practice squad.

Head coach Andy Reid confirmed the move during his Monday media availability, adding that wideout Tyquan Thornton (ankle) will likely be placed on the injured reserve list. Linebacker Cam Jones is expected to take his place on the 53-man roster.

"I will tell you that Tyquan is most likely going on IR here," Reid began. "We'd elevate Cam Jones. We also signed Justin Watson to the practice squad, so those are the immediate updates."

Watson, who turned 30 in April, was originally a member of the Chiefs from 2022-2024. That span saw him appear in 50 regular-season games, starting 20 of them. He won a pair of championships in the club's back-to-back run, finishing his initial tenure with 64 receptions on 119 targets for 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns.

The former fifth-round pick was a trusted vertical passing target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, evidenced by his 17.2-yard average depth of target in KC. He netted 16.6 yards per reception as a Chief in the first go-round.

When asked about the reunion with Watson, Reid praised his versatility and understanding of what's requested of him within the offense.

"He was a good player for us when he was here," Reid said. "He obviously can run fast, and he's got great size. He's willing to do everything, he knows the offense. He's a smart kid. We felt like he could come back in as needed and contribute, step in and go. With just a slight review, he should be fine and good to go."

On Friday, Chiefs On SI covered Kansas City's reported interest in Watson. Here's some of the conclusion after weighing the pros and cons of a potential signing:

"At the end of the day, Watson might just be a more appropriate Thornton replacement than multiple internal options or free agent avenues. Even if he isn't a clear-cut needle-mover, it may not hurt to bring him in and see what he's got as a part-time player. An emphasis should be placed on the part, though, coming with the understanding that the double champion with the Chiefs wouldn't be saving the receiver room."

As a member of the practice squad, Watson can only be elevated to the game-day roster three times. After No. 3, he'd be required to sit on the practice squad for the rest of the regular season or be signed to the 53 directly. With Thornton expected to miss 12-16 weeks following his gruesome ankle injury, adding depth here makes plenty of sense.

The Jones signing stems from linebacker Cole Christiansen reaching his activation limit for the year. Cooper McDonald remains on IR for the time being, so bringing up Jones was a no-brainer. The 26-year-old has played 161 defensive snaps for the Chiefs in 34 regular-season contests, on top of another 567 reps on special teams.

With just six days remaining until a new challenge versus Los Angeles, the Chiefs' roster shuffle continues.

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