The Kansas City Chiefs entered their bye week as the last undefeated team left standing in the AFC, at 4-0.
Now, coming out of their week off, the Chiefs look at what can only be considered an excellent opportunity to extend their perfect record to 5-0, when they face the 0-5 Los Angeles Chargers at home on Sunday.
Before the Chargers game, the Chiefs — who have been left thin at the wide receiver position due to injury — announced a reunion with a pass catcher who was part of two Super Bowl champion Kansas City squads.
Coach Andy Reid on Monday announced that the Chiefs have signed wide receiver Justin Watson to their practice squad, reuniting with a three-time Super Bowl champion, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Watson was also part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team led by legendary quarterback Tom Brady that defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Injuries forced the signing, and one practice-squad spot obviously does not settle how Kansas City rebuilds a receiver room that just lost its second-leading pass catcher, likely for the season.
Tyquan Thornton dislocated his left ankle in the Chiefs’ 30-27 Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and is expected to miss 12 to 16 weeks. He had 11 catches for 291 yards and two touchdowns. Rashee Rice, the club’s top wideout, hurt his hamstring in the same game, which clouds his status for the Week 6 date with the Chargers.
Chiefs’ Justin Watson Signing Fills a Depth Hole
Reid said Thornton will go on injured reserve, according to Kansas City Star reporter Pete Sweeney. Watson steps into the vacancy — sort of. As a practice squad player the eight-year veteran does not yet take a place on the 53-man roster. But without any further signings or trades at the wide receiver position, a quick elevation for Watson would not be out of the question.
Why Watson? Familiarity.
He played 1,716 offensive snaps for the Chiefs from 2022 through 2024, built chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes on vertical routes and carried a 17.2-yard average depth of target, according to Sports Illustrated. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he is also an able blocker and special teams piece.
The Chiefs were “among several teams” interested in Watson, according to an Oct. 9 report by Sweeney.
Is Kansas City’s search over? No. The in-season free-agent market is thin and a trade would likely cost draft capital, according to Sports Illustrated. Tyreek Hill has been linked to the Chiefs for weeks, though his ongoing legal situation complicates any prospective reunion.
Watson adds depth to the room. He does not end the search for a receiver.
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | H/A | Result / Kickoff (ET) | Network / W-L |
| 1 | Mon, Sept. 14 | Denver Broncos | Home | W 31-10 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sun, Sept. 20 | Indianapolis Colts | Home | W 33-30 OT | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sun, Sept. 27 | @ Miami Dolphins | Away | W 24-10 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Sun, Oct. 4 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | Away | W 30-27 | 4-0 |
| WK 5 — BYE WEEK | |||||
| 6 | Sun, Oct. 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | Home | 1:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 7 | Sun, Oct. 25 | @ Seattle Seahawks | Away | 5:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 8 | Sun, Nov. 1 | @ Denver Broncos | Away | 1:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 9 | Sun, Nov. 8 | New York Jets | Home | 10 a.m. | CBS |
| 10 | Sun, Nov. 15 | @ Atlanta Falcons | Away | 10 a.m. | CBS |
| 11 | Sun, Nov. 22 | Arizona Cardinals | Home | 10 a.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Thu, Nov. 26 | @ Buffalo Bills | Away | 5:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 13 | Thu, Dec. 3 | @ Los Angeles Rams | Away | 5:15 p.m. | Prime Video |
| 14 | Sun, Dec. 13 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Away | 1:25 p.m. | FOX |
| 15 | Mon, Dec. 21 | New England Patriots | Home | 5:15 p.m. | ESPN / ABC |
| 16 | Sun, Dec. 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Home | 1:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 17 | TBD — Flex Game | @ Los Angeles Chargers | Away | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD — Flex Game | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Bye in Week 5. Weeks 17 and 18 are flex games — dates and broadcasts TBD. Kansas City enters Week 6 at 4-0 after a come-from-behind OT win over Indianapolis in Week 2. | |||||
Watson’s Path From Penn to the Kansas City Chiefs
Watson, born April 4, 1996, in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, played on South Fayette High School’s 16-0 state championship team in 2013, according to Penn Athletics. At the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, where he also enrolled in the Wharton School, he finished as the program’s career leader in receptions (286), receiving yards (3,777) and receiving touchdowns (33).
His senior season of 2017 produced 81 catches for 1,083 yards and a school-record 14 touchdown receptions, along with first-team FCS All-American honors and a Walter Payton Award finalist nod.
Tampa Bay drafted him in the fifth round, 144th overall, in 2018. Over four seasons he caught 23 passes for 258 yards in 40 games and won Super Bowl LV.
Kansas City signed him in 2022 and re-signed him in 2023, according to Over the Cap‘s contract history. Wearing No. 84, Watson played 50 games for the Chiefs and started 20, catching 64 passes for 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns, a 16.6-yard average. He won Super Bowls LVII and LVIII and converted two two-point tries in the 2024 postseason. (He did not catch a pass in those playoff games.)
Houston signed him in March 2025. He caught three passes for 30 yards in three games before the Texans released him Aug. 30.
Kansas City returns from its bye to face the Chargers in Week 6, with Rice’s availability unsettled and Watson now eligible for game-day elevation.
Chiefs Announce Reunion With Super Bowl Champion WR Before Chargers Game