The Chiefs are coming off a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Raiders where they lost as double-digit favorites, and now the offense is taking a blow. Receiver Sammy Watkins is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The source told Schefter that the injury will sideline him “possibly a couple weeks.” Watkins has been having a solid but not spectacular season as a secondary option in Kansas City’s offense, with 21 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns through their five games. He’s in the middle of his third season with the Chiefs after coming over from the Rams.
Watkins is seemingly always dealing with a health issue of some sort, and he hasn’t played a full 16-game season since his rookie campaign with Buffalo back in 2014. A player whose production has never quite lived up to his talent, there was a lot of talk this offseason about Watkins taking a paycut. He briefly flirted with taking a year off from the game, but ultimately agreed to reduce his salary from $14MM to $9MM (with another $7MM available in incentives) to stay with the team.
After an enormous Week 1 last year he quieted down before breaking out again in the playoffs. He had seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship Game, and five catches for 98 yards in ther Super Bowl win over the 49ers. 2019 second-round pick Mecole Hardman will become the number two receiver and play a bigger role in Watkins’ absence.
I would love to say good riddance to Watkins and all his injuries, but Adam Teicher (I believe) said Watkins is one of best blockers of Chiefs WR. KC needs some guys who can help the running game at all levels, including OL.
What else is new with this guy.