Quez Watkins Explains How Super Bowl Opportunity Slipped Away
After last season, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Quez Watkins could be one of the NFL’s best No. 2 receivers.
That was before GM Howie Roseman delivered A.J. Brown on the opening night of the 2022 NFL Draft.
It’s a good thing too because Watkins looked like anything but a No. 2 receiver. If anything, the third-year, former sixth-round pick looked like more of a No. 4.
“This season was a very humbling season,” Watkins told reporters during Tuesday’s locker room cleanout.” I was ahead of myself coming into the season. I kind of got steered away from what I’m usually focused on, and my priorities and things like that.
“Overall, I feel like this season was a pretty good season. I enjoyed the process of getting to the Super Bowl, throughout the year, we had a great year, but it was a learning and humbling experience for me.”
Watkins said he suffered a Grade 2 shoulder sprain after the game against the Titans in mid-November.
“Honestly, it kind of deteriorated my confidence,” he said. “I wasn’t able to play at my best ability.”
Watkins had a chance to make an essential play in the Super Bowl but dropped a pass from Jalen Hurts inside the 10 that could have helped put the Eagles up 28-14 at halftime against the Chiefs.
Instead, they settled for a field goal and a 24-14 lead at the break.
“After watching it, it was just the fact that I didn’t stick to what I know best, and that’s late hands,” he said. “I gave the DB a chance to know when the ball was coming. He grabbed my shoulder when the ball was coming, so I allowed him to have that key on when the ball was coming.
“So, I allowed him to have that key of when the ball was coming instead of going late hands. If I had late hands, I would’ve been in the end zone, but I didn’t stick to my routine things.”
Watkins needs to be better in 2023.
He is entering the final year of his rookie contract at a price of $2.7 million, and if he wants a new deal, either in Philly or elsewhere, it’s imperative for him to improve.
“It was coming off of last season, confidence was high,” he said. “I kind of got – how can I put it? I kind of got a wake-up call throughout the season, and I didn’t respond well on my end. I’m ready to come back and be better.”
It would not be a surprise if the Eagles bring in competition for him at the No. 3 spot.
Last year, Zach Pascal was hired on a one-year deal, but Pascal never was able to put any distance between himself and Watkins.
Last year, Watkins was targeted 62 times, making 43 receptions for 647 yards, an average of 15 yards per reception.
This year, even with Brown in the fold, he was targeted 51 times, but made just 33 catches for 354 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per catch, though he had three touchdowns compared to only one in 2021.
“I didn’t do a good job stepping up to the plate this year,” he said, “but you best believe, it won’t happen again.”
Watkins said he will head into this offseason with a “Mamba mentality” and that he was “going straight Dawg.”
“I’m just going to become a different player overall, honestly, 100%,” he said. “I got a lot to prove. I’ve got a lot to prove. That’s the biggest thing for me. I proved a lot last year. I took a step back this year.”
He wants to be what Sirianni thought he could be - a No. 2.
“It’s time,” he said, “to live up to that expectation.”
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Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
