The Kansas City Chiefs experienced a major setback when Tyquan Thornton dislocated and fractured his left ankle in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs were already dealing with limited receiving depth. With Thornton sidelined, they had to bring in a wide receiver to manage the depth chart, and they have found a gem in Justin Watson, who returns to the Chiefs’ practice squad, having won two Super Bowls with the team in 2023 and 2024.
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Watson is already familiar with head coach Andy Reid’s gameplay. Well, he has spent three years with Kansas City (2022-2024) and played 50 games (starting 20) during that period. He recorded 64 receptions for 1,064 yards and scored seven touchdowns for the Chiefs.
Furthermore, he recorded nine receptions for 120 yards in nine postseason games. And of course, he helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls. But he was a Super Bowl winner even before arriving on the Patrick Mahomes-led offense. The 2018 fifth-round pick played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four years and won a Super Bowl for them in 2021.
Last season, Watson played only three games for the Houston Texans. He suffered a calf and Achilles injury that placed him on the injured reserve list for most of the season. However, he finally returned in the last game against the Indianapolis Colts in January 2026. However, he was a free agent after being let go in August.
The Chiefs are currently on an undefeated run through five weeks in the 2026 season. And with Thornton out on the sidelines, Reid can certainly use Watson in his offensive strategy.
“He was a good player for us when he was here,” Reid praised Watson. “Obviously, he can run, and he’s fast. He has great size. He’s willing to do everything. He knows the offense. He’s a smart kid. We felt like he could come back in and, as needed, contribute, step in and go with just a slight review; he should be fine and good to go.”
Watson shared the news on Instagram with his 75.6K+ followers. The post featured a picture of him celebrating in a Chiefs uniform. In the caption, he punched in a single shushing face emoji. But in the comments section, the Chiefs stars dived in to celebrate Watson’s return to Kansas City.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to the comments and dropped three flexed biceps emojis. Meanwhile, Tyquan Thornton dropped a dancing man emoji, followed by a fire emoji. Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire further added two fire emojis, and JuJu Smith-Schuster typed exactly six exclamatory marks.
“😈😈 LFG!!!” tight end Travis Kelce wrote.
“J Wattt‼️,” fellow wide receiver Nikko Remigio commented.
“Let’s go!!!” Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill and long snapper James Winchester wrote.
Watson’s return to the Chiefs certainly helps the team soften the blow after Thornton moved to the injured reserve list. But can he become the plug-and-play safety net that the Chiefs need? The answer could become apparent in Week 6, when the Chiefs take on the Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 19.