Chiefs' Jaylen Watson Makes Emotional Tweet Amid Major Injury Concerns
The Kansas City Chiefs will look to keep their perfect record intact when they visit the rival Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. The defending Super Bowl Champions' secondary will continue to be shorthanded during the AFC West clash as Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson continues to deal with a fractured left ankle suffered in Week 7.
Whenever a player suffers a severe injury, it's normal for fans to speculate about their return. While some comebacks can happen surprisingly quickly, the latest update regarding Watson's situation suggests that the standout CB might be dealing with the worst-case scenario.
Chiefs Injury News: Jaylen Watson Posts Emotional Tweet
On Monday evening, Watson took to X (formerly Twitter) to tweet out a single thing: one broken heart emoji.
💔
— Wat’s Island🏝 (@JaylenWatson12) October 21, 2024
It's easy to overread things on the internet and an emoji can mean a number of things. At the same time, it became clear that Watson was tweeting about his outlook when ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the 26-year-old defender will soon undergo surgery to repair his ankle.
There's a chance that Watson could return for the playoffs, however, it's more than likely that his season is over.
#Chiefs DB Jaylen Watson will undergo surgery in the coming days for a broken fibula-tibia (ankle) after tests confirmed the injury, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 22, 2024
Outside chance he’s back for a late playoff push, source adds, but his season very well could be over. pic.twitter.com/ZZdumqcSgJ
After spending most of his team in a backup role last year, Watson emerged as the Chiefs No. 2 CB this season. The former 2022 seventh-rounder has tallied 21 solo tackles and six defended passes in a half-dozen appearances while being one of Pro Football Focus' top-graded cornerbacks when it comes to coverage (19th) and overall defense (26th).
With Watson sidelined, head coach Andy Reid revealed that former 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson will take the veteran's spot in the lineup. Johnson has been solid in small spurts this season, so it's up to him to prove that he can handle more responsibilities.
The good news for the Chiefs is that the Raiders' passing offense shouldn't provide much of a test this week. In addition to averaging 211.1 passing yards per game (16th) and 8.9 yards per completion (26th), Aidan O'Connell's injury means Las Vegas will be forced to start Gardner Minshew, who has an NFL-leading eight interceptions this season.
This Sunday's outlook is already looking promising for Reid & Co. The Chiefs are currently the 9.5-point favorites over the Raiders in a Week 8 matchup projected to feature 42.5 points, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
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