The Kansas City Chiefs found a solid cornerback in Jaylen Watson, but his strong season in 2025 may have priced him out of returning to the team on a new contract.
Watson started 15 games for the Chiefs, notching two sacks and two interceptions along with a career-high 64 total tackles. He is set to hit free agency after the conclusion of his rookie contract, and one insider believes his price could be too high for a return to Kansas City.
Chiefs May Be Forced to Let Key Defensive Player Walk
The Athletic’s Jesse Newell reported on March 2 that Watson is headed to a big contract in free agency, one that would be too high for the cap-strapped Chiefs to match.
“Cornerback Jaylen Watson is likely to command the highest dollar amount and, because of that, seems least likely to return,” Newell reported. “But one advantage the Chiefs often get with their own players in free agency is the ability to match other teams’ offers — especially if those guys enjoyed their time in K.C. and would prefer a return rather than uprooting themselves and their families.”
Newell predicted that the Chiefs are in danger of losing some of their other free agents if their price grows too high.
“There’s also the question of how the market will value certain free agents,” Newell reported. “Safety Bryan Cook is coming off a career year, but there also appears to be quite a bit of safety depth in the draft. Linebacker Leo Chenal’s value also is a mystery, as some 3-4 defenses might see him capable of a bigger role than he has in K.C.”
Newell added that the Chiefs are not likely to be aggressive in keeping their own players, instead picking their spots and getting the right price where they can.
“In any case, the Chiefs are likely to do less targeting of their own free agents this year and more monitoring to see whether a reunion might make sense at the right price,” he reported.
Chiefs Could Reload With No. 9 Overall Draft Pick
The Chiefs do have an unusually strong opportunity to improve their defense in next month’s NFL Draft. They mave have fallen short of the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, but their 6-11 record did give them a rare asset — a Top 10 draft pick.
The Chiefs hold the No. 9 overall pick, and Newell believes they have a strong opportunity to take a game-changing edge rusher.
“Start with Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., who shared at the combine that he believed he had a ‘strong’ formal interview with the Chiefs,” Newell wrote. “That would track with the vibe around Indianapolis, where a few people said they were impressed by Bain’s football IQ in their talks with him there.”
Newell suggested the Chiefs would have plenty of opportunities to improve their defense as well.
“From there, the Chiefs also will be doing plenty of research on the top three wide receivers: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and USC’s Makai Lemon,” Newell wrote. “The position is a short-term and long-term need, and K.C. rarely gets the opportunity to shop in this top-shelf aisle when it comes to wideouts. Their evaluations of each will be important as the draft approaches.”
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