Leading up to playing the L.A. Rams on Monday Night Football, Sammy Watkins seems to have regressed, at least in terms of his injury report status.
The Kansas City Chiefs sat wide receiver Sammy Watkins in Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals as a precautionary measure due to lingering foot pain from the week before, a win over the Cleveland Browns. Early word was that Watkins would be fine and that he would return to play his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, in Week 11. On Friday, Watkins sat out of practice, which raises doubts about his playing status—at least until the Chiefs speak out on the matter.
On Friday, Watkins was one of a few Chiefs sitting out the team’s preparation and practice for the upcoming Monday Night Football showdown against the Rams, an exhibition between two of the NFL’s best three or four teams. For Watkins, it’s also a chance to suit up against a former employer and show the Rams what they let go this offseason.
Earlier this week, Watkins was able to practice but now he’s apparently backed off of that. The Chiefs have been cautious so far, and perhaps this is another precautionary measure for the team. If Watkins feels ready to go then the Chiefs might want to just give him the long weekend to rest since they have an extra day before they play.
If that is the case, however, it runs as an atypical situation given that most players ramp up their practice reps as the game approaches. It would make sense to give Watkins rest days on Wednesday and Thursday and then have him begin to practice on Friday through the weekend.
The Chiefs offense looked a bit more limited without Watkins last week. Here’s hoping he returns without incident and that the Chiefs are just allowing their talented wide receiver to be at his physical best.