After the bye week, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid met with local media via video call on Monday. Before taking any questions, he revealed the Chiefs are signing former wide receiver Justin Watson to the practice squad.
Reid explained why the team is bringing back Watson, who played in Kansas City from 2022-2024 before signing a free-agent contract with the Houston Texans in 2025. He played two games before suffering a calf/Achilles injury that landed him on the Reserve/Injured list through
the season finale; he also appeared on special teams for Houston in the postseason.
“He was a good player for us when he was here,” Reid said. “Obviously, he can run, and he’s fast; he has great size. He’s willing to do everything; he knows the offense; he’s a smart kid.
To make room for the practice-squad signing, Reid explained that wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (dislocated ankle) will be placed on the Reserve/Injured list and linebacker Cam Jones will be signed to the active roster.
During his time with the Chiefs, Watson was a downfield option who seemed to impact the game almost exclusively by hauling in deep passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his brief stint with Houston, he caught only three passes over three games, but in Kansas City, he caught 64 passes over three years; 49 of them came on throws 10 or more yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.
“We felt like he could come back in and, as needed, contribute,” Reid said. “Step in and go with just a slight review, he should be fine and good to go.”
The 30-year-old Watson is listed at 6 feet 2 inches tall and 215 pounds, “great size,” as Reid put it. Before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the University of Penn Pro Day and recorded a vertical leap (40 inches) that would have tied for first among receivers at that year’s NFL Combine.
That was over eight years ago, but the team clearly sees value in bringing Watson back into the fold now that Thornton, the team’s primary downfield threat, will likely miss the remainder of the season.
“Tyquan was doing a tremendous job,” Reid said. “It was nice to see Xavier get a deep one in the game also; we know he can do all that. Then the other guys will mix in; they all have good speed and ability to get down the field as needed.”
Reid was asked directly about whether wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s role could change due to Thornton’s injury.
“Xavier actually had a strong game the other day,” Reid began. “He’s going to continue to be a target, for sure. I don’t know how much his role will change. He has a big part of the pass game to start with, so I’m sure that will continue on.”
When asked about rookie wideout Cyrus Allen’s spot in the rotation, Reid sounded open to the idea of seeing more from the training camp standout.
“I think he would probably work into the mix there a little bit more,” Reid shared. “He’s a good football player; even though he’s young, he has good ability.”
Kansas City should absolutely see what players like Allen and second-year wideout Jalen Royals can do with more playing time after the Thornton injury, but don’t be surprised if you see Watson — presumably No. 84 again — streaking downfield on a deep pass from Mahomes soon.
