As it turns out, Jaylen Watson has been right all along.
The Kansas City Chiefs lost cornerback Jaylen Watson to a "season-ending" injury during a mid-season game against the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, Watson left the game with his left leg in a cast and subsequent updates said the Chiefs would be without Watson for the rest of the season.
In the face of such despairing news, however, Watson pushed back on social media. In a since-deleted post on Twitter (X), Watson responded to a fan's post by intimating he could be back before the season was over. Then earlier this week, he posted some footage of him working out on Instagram—the sort of cryptic posts that athletes use to tease some potential event ahead.
Now, it appears the rumors are true. Nate Taylor of The Athletic has word that the Chiefs are designating Watson to return from injured reserve.
Can confirm that the Chiefs are indeed designating Jaylen Watson to return from IR. He is expected to practice today, per a source (@Schultz_Report 1st). Watson has been out since Week 7 & is recovering from to a broken fibula.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) January 3, 2025
Watson was an instrumental piece in the Chiefs' smothering defense in the first half of the year. Even after losing L'Jarius Sneed, Watson was able to slide into place as a permanent fixture on the outside in his third NFL season to take over his role and give Trent McDuffie a solid running mate who could live up to the taxing demands of Steve Spagunolo, the team's defensive coordinator.
Unfortunately, the loss of Watson sent the Chiefs' secondary in a bit of a spiral in the second half of the season and the unit has only just now learned how to play effectively together without him. Younger players like Joshua Williams, Nic Jones, Keith Taylor, and Nazeeh Johnson needed time to step up and even then, Watson's absence can still be felt.
If the Chiefs are able to get Watson back, it would go a long, long way toward bolstering the defense for an all-important Super Bowl run. The question is whether Watson will be ready. Designating him for a return to the active roster doesn't mean it will happen. It just allows him to begin to practice once again so that the coaching staff can monitor his progress—and they have a 21-day window within which they can evaluate the player.
Still, this brings Watson's potential return that much closer and it would mean a huge boost for a team already sitting in the pole position for it all.