The Kansas City cornerback reflects on his recovery from last year’s ankle injury as he enters the final year on his contract.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson is entering the 2025 season with a renewed sense of optimism after a challenging year that saw him sidelined for most of the regular season.
Watson played in just seven games in 2024 before suffering a fractured ankle that forced him to miss the remainder of the regular season. Now fully recovered, he’s focused on making the most of this fresh start.
“Injuries are tough, but I’m just blessed to be in the position I am,” Watson told reporters on Wednesday during the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp. “I know this is what comes with the game. Hopefully, I can have a fully healthy season, and we’ll see what happens, but I feel pretty good right now.”
Watson opened the 2024 campaign with a strong showing, recording a team-high 11 tackles in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. He totaled 32 tackles and six passes defended before the injury cut his season short in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite the setback, Watson was activated from the injured reserve in time for the Chiefs’ postseason run. Throughout three games, he recorded five tackles and one pass defended before Kansas City’s season ultimately came to an end in the Super Bowl.
While a return for Watson was considered a tall task at the time, the opportunity to contribute to a historic three-peat and the backing of Chiefs Kingdom motivated him to return much quicker than he expected.
“I felt a lot of support. It felt good, and it made me want to come back even faster to try and help my team make history,” Watson revealed. “Unfortunately, we fell short, but it was worth a try, and I don’t regret anything I did.”
Now entering a contract year, the fourth-year defensive back is focused on staying healthy, producing on the field, and helping Kansas City return to its Super Bowl-winning ways — trusting that if he does that, everything else will follow.
“Just try not to worry about that and control what I can control,” Watson said of his contract. “Come out, do my part, and try to help the team win, and everything else will handle itself.”