Chiefs news: Jaylen Watson played with serious injury for the majority
The Chiefs cornerback underwent surgery to repair a ruptured labrum that had been present since Week 2.
As it turns out, Jaylen Watson had more on his plate last season than anyone realised.
Watson had another solid season last year, playing in all 16 games for a dynamic young defence and adding 33 tackles and 2 sacks—all while secretly requiring shoulder surgery.
If that last sentence made you sit up straighter, it should. It did the same for us. Watson informed Chiefs Kingdom about his situation with a surprising social media post.
It’s one thing for Watson to play at this level; it’s another to gain that much playing time and produce while suffering with a labrum issue.
Watson has already shown to be an exceptional addition to the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster after only two years. The former seventh-round pick saw an unexpected amount of playing time from the moment he got onto the field at Arrowhead, and he recorded a game-winning pick-six against the Los Angeles Chargers in only his second professional game.
Coming into the 2023 season, there were high hopes that the entire secondary would come together into an imposing presence, and they did so much more than that, carrying the team to their second straight Super Bowl triumph.
Watson was a key contributor to the Chiefs’ success as a dependable reserve cornerback who often worked in the shadows of L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie’s breakout seasons.
With Sneed likely leaving via tag-and-trade, Watson and fellow third-year corner Joshua Williams have a chance to see more playing time (and effect) in ’24 and beyond as they begin the second halves of their rookie contracts.
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