3 Surprising Chiefs Who Will Lose Playing Time in 2024

3. Justin Watson - WR

Justin Watson is not a guy the Chiefs need to keep healthy for the playoffs. It'd obviously be nice to have him, as he developed into a reliable third-down target for Patrick Mahomes, but I think Watson will see fewer snaps due to the downfield presence of both Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy.

He was in for over 47% of the snaps last season, catching 27 of 53 targets for 460 yards and three TDs. Brown and Worthy both profile as significantly better vertical threats, reducing the need to keep Watson on the field.

If Rashee Rice is ultimately suspended, Watson will see a lot of snaps during that period. He's a great fourth or fifth receiver to have, though he was overextended as the No. 2 or No. 3 option.

Watson came up big with three catches for 54 yards in the Super Bowl and I'd pencil him in for around 40% of the snaps overall. He contributes on special teams as well, so I'm happy he's still part of the receiver room.

By the end of the season though, Rice, Brown, and Worthy should all firmly be ahead of him. In a perfect world, Moore and Toney will be too. Given the latter two have higher upside and greater draft capital, I'd guess the organization prefers they surpass Watson.

For now though, Watson is still an important part of the WR rotation. If the rest of their room does their jobs, he won't have to be once the playoffs arrive.

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