Justin Watson could be headed back to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, according to Arrowhead Pride’s Jared Sapp. In a mailbag focused on how Kansas City might handle its wide receiver depth during the season, Sapp said that bringing Watson back would not be surprising.
The timing matters because the Chiefs’ receiver room is already being affected by injuries to Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton. Kansas City is coming off its Week 5 bye after improving to 4-0 with a 30-27 defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders, so the team has had a little extra time to sort through the short-term depth chart.
Why Watson makes sense as a depth option
Watson is not being discussed as a guaranteed move, but as a realistic roster possibility if the Chiefs want another familiar receiver on hand. That kind of return would fit the kind of in-season depth adjustment teams often make when injuries start to pile up, especially around a bye week.
The Chiefs are also expected to get help elsewhere. Andrew Armstrong is expected to get called up to help at wide receiver in at least one Chiefs game, and Rashee Rice could suit up against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6. That gives Kansas City a few possible ways to patch together the position while it waits for more clarity.
How the situation developed
The broader conversation about wide receiver depth in Kansas City also sits in the shadow of the 2022 departure of Tyreek Hill, who forced a trade out of Kansas City to receive a $120 million extension from the Miami Dolphins. Since then, the Chiefs have had to keep balancing top-end receiver talent with practical depth moves when injuries hit.
For now, the clearest takeaway is simple: Watson remains a name to watch if Kansas City wants another experienced option, but the team has not made anything official. With the Chiefs moving through the season and the receiver situation still in flux, that possibility is worth keeping in mind.
