KC Chiefs: Sammy Watkins remains questionable for Super Bowl LV

Despite having nearly five full weeks to rest and recuperate from a calf injury suffered back in Week 16, wide receiver Sammy Watkins remains questionable for the Kansas City Chiefs as they head into the biggest weekend on the NFL calendar and a chance to play in Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The calf injury occurred during the Chiefs win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, and the team held him out of the closing game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, along with several other starters. Given the bye week to open the NFL postseason, Watkins was hoping to be ready to return sometime in the postseason. However, the Chiefs have hosted (and defeated) the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bill since that time without Watkins, and even had another two-week break before Super Bowl LV thanks to the typical festivities of Pro Bowl week.

The good news is that Watkins was trending upward for the week, as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before fully participating on Friday for the Chiefs. That sort of momentum usually signals positive things for a player heading into a game. Watkins did play in the Chiefs’ win over the Bucs in Week 12, a game in which he caught 4 of 7 targets for 38 receiving yards.

As for the rest of the injury report, the good news is that everyone else who had been limited is ready to go. Running back Le’Veon Bell wasn’t given a designation and neither was his backfield teammate Clyde Edwards-Helaire, despite both players dealing with recent injuries. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson returned to practice for the first time since being placed on the COVID/reserve list early this week.

The Chiefs have designated Sammy Watkins as questionable for the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs also failed to give injury designations to offensive linemen Mike Remmers and Andrew Wylie and cornerbacks Rashad Fenton and L’Jarius Sneed. That means the Chiefs are coming into the game as healthy as they’ve been in weeks.

As for the Bucs, the only two players listed as questionable on the injury report are tight end Cameron Brate and wideout Antonio Brown.