There was an unexpected bit of Kansas City Chiefs news as the team began taking the practice field on January 3, and it’s definitely a positive sign for the upcoming playoff run.
“Breaking: The Chiefs are designating CB Jaylen Watson to return from IR, and he will practice today, sources tell @NFLonFOX,” FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz reported on X. “This is a huge boost for Kansas City, who has been without Watson since late October due to a broken fibula. He and Trent McDuffie are one of the best CB duos in the league and KC could now have him back just in time for the postseason.”
Watson’s return to practice was also confirmed by The Athletic’s Chiefs correspondent, Nate Taylor.
In a follow-up post, Schultz noted that “Jaylen Watson has been pushing very hard behind the scenes with the Chiefs’ training staff to get back on the field for the playoffs.” He included a video clip from Watson’s Instagram account.
This is huge news for Kansas City’s defense, being that they’ve struggled to fill the L’Jarius Sneed-sized void at cornerback with Watson sidelined. Having said that, there’s still no clear timeline as to when the former seventh-round breakout might retake the field in a live NFL game.
Jaylen Watson Is Way Ahead of Schedule According to Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s Most Recent Injury Update
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is set to address the media on January 3, as he does every Friday — although he has not spoken yet at the time of this article’s publishing.
Either way, Watson’s potential Divisional Round availability is a bit of a shock based Reid’s latest update. As recently as December 30, the Chiefs HC told reporters that there was a small chance that the starting cornerback could return for a portion of the postseason, but he classified Watson as more of a longshot than a sure thing.
“That would be stretching it though I think,” Reid said, regarding Watson’s potential playoff return.
What a difference a few days can make! Reid also hinted that wide receiver Mecole Hardman could make a playoff comeback on December 30, and his practice window was opened on January 1.
It’ll be interesting to see if either Watson or Hardman are activated for the Chiefs’ initial postseason outing — following the first-round bye — or if their earliest availability would be sometime after that.
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