KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One question dominated Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson’s thoughts as he met with Dr. Bob Anderson, a renowned foot and ankle surgeon, after breaking his tibia and fibula in a Week 7 win at San Francisco on Oct. 20.
“Before I got my surgery, I asked him, ‘Was it possible (I could return this season)?’ And he said, ‘It’s a small possibility,’” Watson said. “That’s when I knew I’d be able to play again.”
Watson, a former seventh-round pick from Washington State, had steadily developed into a gritty, lanky cover man.
The Chiefs had enough faith in him to trade L’Jarius Sneed during the offseason, but it felt like a longshot that he could come back this season from such an injury.
Yet, there he was Saturday, trotting onto the field for the third defensive snap in a 23-14 AFC Divisional win against the Houston Texans.
“Honestly, I didn’t think that he would make it back, but that’s just a credit to him and the amount of work that he put in,” safety Justin Reid said. “He has worked his (butt) to get back on the field and it showed. Hell, man, we’re grateful to have him out there.”
Kansas City Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s complex and aggressive defensive scheme requires a secondary that isn’t afraid to get physical and take on the challenge of man coverage.
Few are better on the Chiefs’ roster at it than Watson, which helped Kansas City sack Houston quarterback CJ Stroud eight times.
“It felt great to be back out there with my teammates, not sitting and watching them, and knowing I could help contribute to winning,” Watson said.
Reid said the healthiest team has a massive advantage when the NFL playoffs roll around — and the Chiefs are mostly healthy after Watson’s return from injured reserve.
“The guy is so consistent, cerebral,” Reid said. “He fit right back into the system like he never left.”
Watson finished with one tackle and one pass defended against the Texans.
“I felt good,” Watson said. “I was confident in myself.”
He played much of last season with a shoulder injury, which required offseason surgery, but that experience helped him fight through the leg/ankle fractures, too.
“It’s no difference,” Watson said. “You just wake up each day and attack the day, try to do the most you can to get back on the field. That’s what I did.”
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