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Jaylen Watson

Texans, Darrell Taylor Agree To Deal; Team To Add WR Justin Watson

March 10th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans already have Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter along the edge, but they are bringing in a short-term veteran for depth. Darrell Taylor has agreed to a one-year, $5.25MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport adds Houston also has an agreement in place with Justin Watson. The veteran wideout has plenty of experience as a special teams contributor but he logged a heavy offensive workload in Kansas City this past year in particular. Watson will be able to serve as a complement to Nico Collins and recent trade addition Christian Kirk.

Taylor comes to Houston after a lengthy Seattle stay and a one-season Chicago stopover. For a player who totaled 24.5 sacks over his first five seasons (one of them erased by injury), Taylor is fairly affordable. Although he only collected three last season, Taylor totaled six sacks in his 2021 debut — after a season-nullifying injury in 2020 — and added 9.5 to help the 2022 Seahawks to the playoffs. Taylor added four forced fumbles that season.

After Taylor finished the 2023 season with 5.5 sacks in a part-time role, the Seahawks traded him to a the Bears in a low-end swap that only brought back a 2025 sixth-round pick. Taylor, 28 later this month, did not start any games for the Bears during a rather turbulent season for the NFC North franchise.

A former Buccaneers backup, Watson is relocating after being a tertiary Patrick Mahomes option for a few seasons. As the Chiefs were trying to force Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore into regular roles, the experiments failed and forced the megastar quarterback to lean on other options. Watson posted a career-high 460 yards and three touchdowns that year. He added six catches for 90 yards in the playoffs. During Kansas City’s injury-plagued 2024 season at receiver, Watson came through with 22 catches for 289 yards.

Watson, 29, joins a Texans team that has Tank Dell almost certain to miss much of the 2025 season — after a brutal knee injury in Week 16 at Arrowhead Stadium — and one that may lose Stefon Diggs. Robert Woods is also a free agent.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Chiefs Activate CB Jaylen Watson From IR

January 17th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Ben Levine

JANUARY 17: Watson has indeed been activated, per a team announcement. He will be in line to handle a significant workload on Saturday and beyond if the Chiefs manage another deep postseason run.

JANUARY 16: Jaylen Watson is expected to return from IR just in time for the Chiefs’ playoff opener. According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, the Chiefs are expected to activate their starting cornerback before Saturday’s divisional round matchup with the Texans.

Watson suffered a fractured fibula and tibia back in Week 7 that was expected to knock him out for the rest of the season. Instead, the former seventh-round pick has worked his way back in just a few months. Watson was a full participant at practice on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and Taylor believes the 26-year-old could play a majority of his team’s snaps this weekend. Of course, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was quick to caution that his CB will need to knock off any rust.

“I think these next two (practices) will be really important,” Spagnuolo said (via Taylor). “He needs to get up to the speed of the game — and it’s not regular-season speed. It’s playoff speed.”

After serving as a rotational defensive back through his first two years in the league, Watson took on a larger role in 2023. The cornerback started each of Kansas City’s first six games, appearing in 91 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. In those six appearances, Watson compiled 32 tackles and six passes defended, with Pro Football Focus grading him 30th among 117 qualifying cornerbacks.

As Taylor notes, Watson combined with All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie to limit opposing passers to a 60 percent completion percentage. When the likes of Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, and Chris Roland-Wallace filled in, that number jumped to 67 percent, so Watson should provide a boost to the team’s defense.

Chiefs Designate Jaylen Watson For Return

January 3rd, 2025 at 9:17am CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs have a rare opportunity at significant rest before the playoffs, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Christmas Day. Andy Reid‘s team is taking advantage of that, being set to rest starters — to the point it is a double-digit underdog in Denver — in Week 18.

Kansas City is also starting to see some players lost early in the season return. Weeks after Isiah Pacheco and Marquise Brown‘s returns from IR, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes cornerback Jaylen Watson is being designated for return. Watson has been out since late October with a broken leg.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Watson operated as the Chiefs’ initial L’Jarius Sneed replacement. Although the team was undecided on this job leading up to the season, Watson won it and played at least 93% of the team’s defensive snaps when healthy this season. The Chiefs will have three weeks to activate Watson. Considering they do not play a meaningful game for two weeks, the third-year defender has some time to complete his recovery.

Continuing a pattern of moving on from starting cornerbacks rather than paying them, the Chiefs dealt Sneed to the Titans for a 2025 third-round pick. After losing Williams, however, Kansas City has seen its usual blueprint fail to produce consistent coverage beyond standout Trent McDuffie.

In a small sample size this season, Pro Football Focus did have Watson rated 30th among corners. The boundary defender’s return stands to help a defense that already ranks second in points allowed heading into the playoffs. Watson replacement options Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson have each struggled. After playing a part-time role during the Chiefs’ 2022 and ’23 playoff runs, Watson figures to see extensive work — provided he is sufficiently recovered — during the team’s threepeat attempt.

These recoveries may well play a central role in the Chiefs’ chances at becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Kansas City will not have Rashee Rice back, but beyond the promising wideout, the two-time defending champs could be nearly at full strength when they suit up for their divisional-round game. Watson is attempting to follow Pacheco in returning from a fractured fibula. While Kansas City (15-1) has received steady criticism for its run of narrow victories regardless of opponent quality, the experienced team will certainly be a tough out during the postseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/24

October 22nd, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

The Ravens finally activated Maulet to the 53-man roster at the very end of his 21-day return window. The veteran slot cornerback underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the preseason, but dealt with a minor hamstring injury upon his return to practice. To make room, Baltimore waived Ross, a special teams starter, likely hoping to add him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Maulet’s return could not be coming at a better time for a Ravens pass defense that was already struggling before starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey left Monday night’s victory over the Buccaneers with an injury.

 

The Panthers signed Gill off the Lions’ practice squad and Harris off the Dolphins’ practice squad to fortify their defense on Tuesday. They also released Haynes and waived Wooten and Smith as part of an overhaul of their weak front seven.

 

The Giants signed Watts from their practice squad to strengthen the interior of their defensive line while waiving Basham, a former Bills second-round pick who arrived in New York via trade in August 2023. Giants general manager Joe Schoen was the assistant GM in Buffalo when Basham was drafted, while Giants head coach Brian Daboll was the Bills’ offensive coordinator. Schoen traded a sixth-round pick in exchange for Basham and a seventh-rounder from the Bills just before the 2023 regular season, but Basham did not record a single sack in 13 games as a Giant.

Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson Suffers Fractured Ankle; 2024 Return Unlikely

October 22nd, 2024 at 11:05am CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 22: Testing confirmed Watson’s diagnosis, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports surgery will take place in the coming days. He adds a return during the postseason has not been ruled out, but any further action in 2024 remains unlikely. Kansas City will need to rely on other cornerback contributors moving forward as the team looks to remain undefeated.

OCTOBER 21: Receiver injuries have been a central storyline for the Chiefs in 2024, but the team’s secondary will also be shorthanded moving forward. Cornerback Jaylen Watson suffered a fractured ankle on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Further testing will take place today to determine to severity of the injury. The outcome of that process, Rapoport adds, will dictate whether or not Watson will be available later in the season. Missing him for the remainder of the campaign would deal a notable blow to Kansas City’s cornerbacks room.

Watson carved out a notable role as a rookie in 2022, making six starts and logging a 56% snap share on defense. His workload took a step back last season, although the former seventh-rounder remained a regular on defense and special teams. L’Jarius Sneed was franchise-tagged this offseason before ultimately being traded to the Titans, a move which came as little surprise given Kansas City’s preference to devote cap resources elsewhere. It also opened up a full-time starting role for Watson this year.

The 26-year-old has played nearly every defensive snap so far in 2024, serving as a key figure on one of the league’s top defenses. Kansas City ranks fifth in points allowed this year and 10th in total defense; the team’s play against the pass in particular has been less impressive than in other areas, though, so thinning out the CB room could present a challenge. Watson has allowed a completion percentage of 51.7% and a passer rating of 73.9 as the nearest defender this year, both the best figures of his career.

The Chiefs still have first-team All-Pro Trent McDuffie in place at the cornerback spot, and he will continue to be leaned on heavily without Watson available for the time being. More clarity will emerge in the latter’s case based on testing, but at a minimum a stint on injured reserve (ensuring a four-game absence) should be expected. Ahead of the 2025 offseason – during which he will first be eligible for an extension – any missed time on Watson’s part will be unwelcomed by team and player, but that situation is now in play.

DB Notes: Lassiter, Texans, Colts, Simmons, Davis, Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, Hawks, Jags

August 20th, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans showed interest in re-signing Steven Nelson this offseason, but the two-year Houston starter ended up retiring. Houston has identified another clear candidate to start opposite Derek Stingley. The defending AFC South champions are prepared to roll with second-rounder Kamari Lassiter as their No. 2 cornerback. Not much drama exists here, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating Lassiter has worked with Houston’s first-team defense since the offseason program. Although Lassiter sustained an ankle injury earlier during training camp, the No. 42 overall pick reclaimed his starter post — ahead of former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson — and will be expected to work in tandem with Stingley.

“For a young guy to come in and not be noticed a lot for doing something negative, everything has been positive with Kamari,” Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s exactly the guy we saw from the Georgia film.”

Here is the latest from several other DB situations:

  • The Chiefs still need to decide on a No. 2 corner opposite Trent McDuffie. Long known for moving on from corners after one contract (as they most recently did with L’Jarius Sneed), the Chiefs have a few options — most acquired in 2022. Fourth- and seventh-round picks from that draft Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson, who played extensively last year, lead the way. No one has seized the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, who has 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson, rookie sixth-rounder Kamal Hadden and former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph making the team as well (subscription required). Versatile performer Chamarri Conner, a 2023 fourth-rounder, will be in the mix at corner, but Andy Reid said (via Taylor) this could be a rotation into the season.
  • Justin Simmons accepted a one-year, $7.5MM Falcons deal. That price being so far beyond what other veteran safeties commanded confirms a decent market formed for the perennial All-Pro. The Colts‘ questions in the secondary did not lead them into this chase, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins indicating the team did not make the ex-Bronco an offer. Former third-rounder Nick Cross, recently re-signed veteran Ronnie Harrison and third-year performer Rodney Thomas have rotated in alongside Julian Blackmon in camp. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds said no safety moves are anticipated.
  • Seeing his three-year contract traded from the Buccaneers to the Lions, Carlton Davis remains scheduled to be a 2025 free agent. Davis will be 27 for most of this season, which should give him a decent market — should no Detroit extension be reached in the meantime — come March. A new agency will be representing the former second-rounder for his next negotiation. Davis is joining Athletes First, per a recent announcement.
  • Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller will start on the boundary for the Dolphins, with former UDFA success story Kader Kohou in place as Miami’s slot defender. Despite Cam Smith being a second-round pick, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Ethan Bonner — a 2023 UDFA who has stood out in training camp — is the frontrunner to be Miami’s top backup CB. Bonner, who recently returned from a concussion sustained in camp, played only 11 defensive snaps last season. While Smith recently came back after missing nearly three weeks due to injury, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds he is week-to-week after sustaining another injury against the Commanders. Despite playing 15 games last season, Smith only saw 20 defensive snaps.
  • The base value on Julian Love‘s second Seahawks contract checks in at $33MM, per OverTheCap. The three-year deal includes $11.97MM guaranteed at signing and dropped Love’s cap number by just more than $1.6MM. Option bonuses (worth a combined $4.8MM) are in place to keep the cap hits lower, with both Love’s 2024 and ’25 cap figures coming in at just over $6MM. Love’s 2025 base salary ($1.2MM) is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LIX, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson tweets.
  • The Jaguars‘ Tashaun Gipson reunion pact is worth $2.55MM, Wilson tweets. It comes with $525K guaranteed. The Jags will still be shorthanded at safety for a while. In addition to Gipson’s six-week suspension, Doug Pederson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) Andrew Wingard‘s recent knee injury will sideline him for at least a few games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/24

July 31st, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions to close out the month:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Snead is the latest veteran wideout to join the Dolphins receiving corps. He hasn’t really contributed much to the NFL since his 2020 campaign with the Ravens, but he’ll get another chance this summer in South Beach.

Carolina brings in Johnson just a day after watching veteran Rashaad Penny hang up his cleats. In order to make room for Johnson, the Panthers let good of Davis, the team’s recent signee from the UFL.

Butler was waived after a failed physical two days ago. After going unclaimed, he’ll get to stay in Vegas by taking a place on the reserve/PUP list.

Chiefs Rumors: CBs, Toney, Front Office

July 25th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs have established a clear philosophy regarding cornerbacks, with the L’Jarius Sneed development the latest example of Kansas City’s view at this position. During the Patrick Mahomes era, at least, the Chiefs have been able to get by without a notable cornerback contract on the payroll.

Sneed followed Marcus Peters (2018), Steven Nelson (2019), Kendall Fuller (2020) and Charvarius Ward (2022) as one-contract players. As Steve Spagnuolo has completed a rebound from a disastrous St. Louis HC tenure and re-established himself as one of the NFL’s premier defensive minds, Kansas City has continued to plug in rookie-deal players into these positions. The two-time reigning champions will need to do so again, as Sneed is a Titan after a borderline-dominant contract year led to a tag-and-trade transaction.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Kansas City Chiefs]

With Trent McDuffie‘s rookie contract running through 2025, the Chiefs still figure to have their CB anchor around for a bit. They also acquired Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson in 2022, giving them some time with another low-cost nucleus. But Sneed was an every-down player for both of the past two Super Bowl-winning Chiefs squads, giving Spagnuolo and Co. some work to do. Early in training camp, both Williams and Watson are in a wide-open competition that also features 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson, via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor.

While the Chiefs have 2023 fourth-rounder Chamarri Conner on track for versatile role post-Sneed, the team having four 2022 draftees/UDFAs (in Watson’s case) vying for roles at corner does well to illustrate the organization’s commitment to developing young talent at this position. Watson outsnapped Williams last season, 440-321, but the latter started four games as a rookie. Pro Football Focus rated Williams 25th at corner in 2023, with Watson settling in at a respectable 46th. Johnson has never logged a defensive snap and probably should be considered a long shot to beat out more established corners to start opposite McDuffie.

Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Chiefs are still trying to find a role for Kadarius Toney. Early in camp, the shifty but unreliable receiver has been working at running back at points, Taylor adds (subscription required). Making his most notable Chiefs contribution on a Super Bowl punt return, Toney has shown remarkable elusiveness. But the ex-Giants first-rounder, who is still working at receiver as well this summer, has made many mistakes and frequently run into injury trouble.

Our Ben Levine recently profiled Toney as a release candidate, as he has gone from a player the Chiefs had hoped could grow into their No. 1 wide receiver last season to a healthy scratch for Super Bowl LVIII. The Chiefs’ offense functioned smoother with Toney and Skyy Moore sidelined during the playoffs, and the latter accused the team of lying about his injury. The Chiefs welcomed Toney back this offseason, but his status has certainly changed over the past year. Kansas City would be hit with a $2.5MM dead money charge by releasing Toney.

The Chiefs added Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy at receiver this offseason, and even though a Rashee Rice suspension is expected at some point, the Chiefs have a fairly clear top three at receiver. Toney and Moore do not stand to be part of that group, and with Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson also still with the club, a Toney roster spot should not be considered a lock. Andy Reid does reside as one of the most creative coaches in NFL, as his bevy of goal-line plays showcases annually, so the 12th-year Chiefs HC trying to find a gadget-type role for Toney is not too surprising.

Kansas City also added to its front office recently. A year after the Saints moved on from Ryan Herman, the Chiefs added the veteran exec as their senior football strategy and compliance advisor. Herman worked with Jeff Ireland in Miami and New Orleans, specializing in analytics.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/17/24

July 17th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Some roster movement today in minor transactions as several teams are starting to add players to early injured lists:

Chicago Bears

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Kiran Amegadjie
  • Placed on active/PUP list: DT Jamree Kromah

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Seattle Seahawks

There was good news on the Horton front back in May as it was announced that the Texans defender had completed his final treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. As a rookie out of TCU, Horton sat out the final seven games of the 2023 season on the non-football illness list. As he continues to work his way back to the field, it appears he’ll start the summer on the list, as well.

Thompson’s situation in Kansas City also received some good news of late. After suffering a seizure that caused him to go into cardiac arrest in early-June, the Chiefs defender continues to make progress towards a return. He’ll start the summer on the non-football injury list but will continue to work his way back as he continues with medical procedures, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic.

Chiefs’ Leo Chenal, Chamarri Conner, Joshua Williams On Track For Starting Roles

July 2nd, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Many members of the Chiefs’ defense from the 2023 season are still in place, but a few notable departures have created room for rotational returnees to take on an increased workload. At the linebacker spot and in the secondary in particular, new faces are positioned to ascend to a starter’s role.

Willie Gay signed a free agent deal with the Saints, leaving Kansas City without a three-year starter on the second level. The team still has Nick Bolton in place for one first-team spot, but Leo Chenal is poised to fill Gay’s vacancy. The 2022 third-rounder is on track to see an uptick in defensive usage, Nate Taylor of The Athletic writes (subscription required).

Chenal has played in all 34 regular season games during his career to date, along with seven playoff contests. During that combined span, he has made 21 total starts but his largest workload so far has come on special teams. The 23-year-old racked up 65 tackles and three sacks last year, adding 15 stops and a forced fumble in the postseason. An increased workload in 2024 would lead to expectations for further growth in pass coverage in particular.

Needing to devote resources to defensive tackle Chris Jones this offseason, the Chiefs tagged-and-traded cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans in March. That created a notable opening in the secondary, but second-year defensive back Chamarri Conner is a strong candidate to step into a larger role. The 2023 fourth-rounder has experience at multiple spots dating back to his time in college, and he served as a fill-in at safety during his rookie campaign. Taylor notes, though, that in spring workouts Conner took first-team reps at the nickel corner position.

At times, All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie could slide to the inside. During those instances, Taylor writes Conner will likely move to the safety spot, something which will no doubt lead to a notable uptick in usage. The Virginia Tech product was on the field for 28% of defensive snaps in 2023, a figure which could check in much higher this fall. With respect to the perimeter spot opposite McDuffie, Taylor notes Joshua Williams received the most reps during OTAs and minicamp.

The latter has also been a special teams mainstay while seeing part-time usage on defense during his career. Williams, 24, has totaled 58 tackles and 12 pass breakups over his first two years in Kansas City; his coverage statistics saw a notable improvement last season. That could give the Chiefs cause for optimism a first-team role would suit the former fourth-rounder, although Taylor adds that Jaylen Watson is also in the mix for a starting position.

Kansas City’s defense played a central role in the team’s second straight Super Bowl title, and the unit will again face high expectations in 2024. New faces in starting positions could change the Chiefs’ performance on that side of the ball, but their familiarity with DC Steve Spagnolo should lead to a relatively smooth transition.

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