KCKingdom
Fansided

Andy Reid Shares Big Chiefs Injury News on Monday as Bills Prep Begins

By Joe Summers

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks on during the second quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks on during the second quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

The stage is set for another epic playoff showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC Championship this Sunday. These teams know each other well and have seemingly been on a crash course for this specific game all year long.

Health for both teams is a major storyline for the contest. The Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans was arguably the healthiest the Chiefs have been all year, particularly on the defensive end.

CB Jaylen Watson, who emerged as the L'Jarius Sneed replacement as a starter alongside Trent McDuffie, played for the first time since Week 7. Speaking to the media on Monday, Andy Reid shared an exciting update on the talented corner's injury status.

Andy Reid Shares Jaylen Watson Injury Update to Start AFC Championship Week

Reid said that Watson came out of the game no worse for wear, which is encouraging news considering his importance. Watson was limited to just 59% of the snaps, though that was expected given he hadn't played since October.

He held his own, recording a tackle and deflected pass while grading as the team's sixth-best defender (71.2) at Pro Football Focus (PFF). Watson didn't allow a catch on two targets, a significantly better performance than Nazeeh Johnson, who played 50% of the snaps and gave up three catches for 38 yards and a 118.8 passer rating.

The Bills are a scary offensive team thanks to Josh Allen. It's important for the Chiefs to have their best defensive backs on the field this Sunday and Watson is one of them.

Prior to getting hurt, Watson ranked 41st out of 223 qualified corners at PFF, surrendering a 53.3% completion percentage and 75.4 rating when targeted. Make no mistake, the best version of Kansas City's defense involves that version of Watson.

Based on Reid's comments, it sounds like his ramp-up period went well and we just might see him back near 100% of the snaps. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Chiefs as 1.5-point favorites but if Watson is at full strength, those odds may prove to be a steal.

More Kansas City Chiefs News and Rumors:

feed

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs