The Kansas City Chiefs have had a hard time getting the offense going against the Denver Broncos, but they're still dominating defensively enough to feel good about their overall performance. But things could get even tougher for Patrick Mahomes and company if Justin Watson's arm injury keeps him out.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid says WR Justin Watson has an elbow injury: "It's not broken, so that's a positive thing."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) October 13, 2023
The Chiefs saw Watson go down and require medical attention early in the fourth quarter in Week 6 after Mahomes tried to find him on a deep route. While the ball was just slightly in front of him and went off of his fingertips, Watson then went down with what looked like an arm injury and remained on the ground.
Here's a look at the play and the subsequent injury as it happened.
Justin Watson -
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 13, 2023
Multiple posts stating arm or wrist. Hard to tell from this angle, but seeing his feet tremble like that, he’s in a LOT of pain.
~40% snaps might open up here for Justyn Ross.
pic.twitter.com/0wqcIu73kb
Watson has been a nice surprise for the Kansas City Chiefs offense in 2023.
The Chiefs have featured Watson on some of the season's biggest offensive plays so far this season. While he only has 10 total catches coming into the game against the Broncos, Watson has averaged over 21 yards per catch for a total of 219 receiving yards—enough to lead the team through five weeks.
If Watson is forced to sit, the Chiefs have a crowded wide receiver room with 7 on the active roster, which could open up more playing time for some of the team's more inexperienced receivers.