Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
The Kansas City Chiefs 2023 Super Bowl parade has unfortunately come and gone — but not without some unforgettable memories.
One of the funniest stories emerged after the festivities were over, when rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson addressed rumors that he was wheelchaired out of the championship event by the city’s safety personnel for being overly intoxicated. Here was his hilarious viral tweet from February 16, including photo evidence, that read: “Chiefs Kingdom!!! Y’all were responsible for this🤣. YOU GOTTA FIGHT, FOR YOUR RIGHT.”
Chiefs Kingdom!!! Y’all were responsible for this🤣. YOU GOTTA FIGHT, FOR YOUR RIGHT
Watson may have jokingly blamed fans for egging him on, but last we saw, it was the Hennessey that did him in. A fan shared a video of the breakout seventh-round draft pick drinking straight out the bottle while riding on the top of his bus.
@JaylenWatson12 @codybtapp We seen you in action!
Next parade, someone’s got to warn the rookie that it’s a marathon, not a sprint!
Chiefs Teammates, NFL Stars React to Jaylen Watson Being Wheelchaired Out of Parade
Different Chiefs teammates reacted to Watson’s photo reveal, including fellow defensive back Juan Thornhill. “Nooooo I know you didn’t go out like that 😂😂,” the safety replied.
His counterpart on the back end, Justin Reid, just laughed with “😂😂😂” emojis, and rookie defensive end George Karlaftis III commented that the drunken gaffe was because of his black Air Force 1 sneakers. “Black forces….😂😂,” he wrote.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II laughed too, and rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore quote tweeted: “No way 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.”
A couple of former Chiefs responded as well, like wide receiver/special teamer Daurice Fountain who said: “Boy!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂”
Ex-KC superstar Tyreek Hill even chimed in, voicing that you “can’t tell me that’s not Chad Henne pushing [the wheelchair] bro.”
@JaylenWatson12 My guy found out Henne-thing was NOT possible. 🤦🏽♂️😂
The medical professional pushing the cornerback does resemble the recently retired backup QB and on a similar note, a fan noted accurately that “[Watson] found out Henne-thing was NOT possible” during the parade.
Finally, USA Today Chiefs Wire media member Charles Goldman joked that this is what happens “when you drink all the rum on Wat’s Island. . . 🤣”
Something tells me Watson is going to be hearing about this moment from teammates for a long, long time.
Chiefs’ Jaylen Watson’s Tremendous Rookie Campaign Ends in Legendary Way
Like fellow seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco, Watson’s first season in the NFL was quite legendary. Whether it was the game-changing pick-six during his first start against the division rival Los Angeles Chargers, his stout coverage throughout that was not far off from first-round talent Trent McDuffie or fourth-rounder Joshua Williams, or logging meaningful snaps in the Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles — the rookie performed from start to finish.
Watson was a diamond in the rough and a feather in the cap of general manager Brett Veach’s phenomenal offseason, but he was also a feel-good story out of the draft.
“Everyone just kept aggravating me and they were irritating,” Watson told reporters on May 8, recapping draft night to the KC media. “They didn’t understand what was going through my head so I separated myself from the family. Me and one of my close friends, we went out to my car and was just listening to music and [I had] already seen Kansas City got two corners — and I really wanted to go to Kansas City — [so] I was like, man.”
He continued: “Then they called. I seen a Kansas City area code, me and my friend looked at each other and our eyes got super big, and they said this is the Chiefs. I got so excited I started running full speed down the street. Everyone in the house [saw] me, they were like — ‘What’s wrong? Who is it? Who is it?’ I was like: ‘It’s the Chiefs!'”
The story of Watson’s neighborhood sprint didn’t take long to resonate with fans, especially after the aforementioned Week 2 sprint for a touchdown. Rest those tired legs, Jaylen, you’ve sprinted enough this season.