The Kansas City Chiefs could have a major piece of their defense back during the playoffs. The Chiefs opened the three-week practice window for cornerback Jaylen Watson, per ESPN. The team will have until Friday, Jan. 24 to activate the starter to the 53-man roster.
Watson went on injured reserve with a broken ankle suffered in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers and has remained sidelined since. He’s recently taken to social media to show his progress, with a video of him running. Watson also re-posted a report that the team was designating him to return from IR, with the caption, “Thank you God.”
In six games he had six passes defended and 32 combined tackles, including 21 solo tackles.
When asked last week if there’s a chance to get some players with long-term injuries back for the playoffs, head coach Andy Reid said, “There’s a chance with Mecole [Hardman] and potentially [Jaylen] Watson. I mean, potentially, you know, that would be stretching it, the whole thing.”
Watson joined the Chiefs in 2022 and has won a championship in each season he’s been in the league so far. The former seventh rounder has appeared in seven playoff games, including three starts, all in 2022. His lone regular season interception was a memorable one, running it back 99 yards for a touchdown and in his rookie season he had two picks in the postseason.
K.C. has struggled to replace Watson, who plays across from Trent McDuffie, the team’s other starter. Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson started the first five games Watson was out and Joshua Williams got the start in the last five. Keith Taylor Jr. is the other cornerback in the room.
The Chiefs have the first round bye in the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, which gives them a little extra time to get healthy before beginning their postseason run. Kansas City will face the lowest remaining seed in the divisional round.
