The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for an offseason full of expected changes following the 2025 season's epic failure. Long before Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and was lost for the rest of the season, the 2025 campaign was circling the drain with the franchise lacking the magic that had defined the dynastic run under Mahomes.
However, one constant throughout the struggles was the defense of Steve Spagnuolo, finding ways to get the job done. The included corner Jaylen Watson, who only allowed a passer rating of 67.5 when targeted. Watson added a pair of interceptions and three passes broken up in what has been a strong season and apparently his last in Kansas City.
The defensive back posted a lengthy goodbye message over the weekend, seemingly giving up hope that the two sides will reach an agreement. While the Chiefs haven't hesitated to part ways with key pieces from the secondary in the past, the timing here is surprising due to the consistency of Watson's play. The Chiefs not locking down the corner and keeping an important piece of Spagnuolo's defense appears to have been decided for them.
Chiefs Corner Jaylen Watson Signals Exit with Heartfelt Goodbye Message
Kansas City is already dealing with an uncertain situation around Trent McDuffie, who is ending the season on IR with a knee injury. There has been speculation about a possible trade of the young corner if the two sides can't agree on a deal. Watson, appearing to give up on an offseason reunion with the Chiefs, would likely change this into a relative impossibility. As great an organization as Kansas City might be, replacing both of your starting corners in the same offseason is a difficult task.
With that said, there is a chance that Watson is simply being introspective or even attempting to use the post as leverage to remind the Chiefs of what they're about to lose. Regardless of the reasoning, it doesn't completely shut the door on a potential reunion. What it does point out is the fact that Watson hasn't had great conversations with the front office. If there were the belief that a deal was going to get done, the post obviously wouldn't have been sent out ahead of the season's final week.
For Chiefs fans, there is still hope that GM Brett Veach will be able to change Watson's mind and lure the corner back to an incredible situation. The flip side of this is pointing out the reality of the defender likely having many tempting high-dollar offseason offers from teams desperate to steal a proven Super Bowl performer.
It will be an interesting story to continue to watch as the offseason officially gets underway. One that Kansas City fans can't help but hope finds a surprise twist, and that this isn't the goodbye Watson appears to believe it to be.