{"id":32317,"date":"2025-03-11T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T10:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32317"},"modified":"2025-03-11T10:00:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T10:00:35","slug":"chiefs-wide-receiver-depth-takes-a-hit-as-justin-watson-leaves-kansas-city-to-join-afc-south-rival-in-2025-nfl-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32317","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs’ wide receiver depth takes a hit as Justin Watson leaves Kansas City to join AFC South rival in 2025 NFL free agency."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jan<\/p>\n

The\u00a0K<\/a>ansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver depth has taken a hit during the NFL’s legal tampering period before the 2025 free agency period.<\/p>\n

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the\u00a0Houston Texans\u00a0have poached Chiefs WR Justin Watson.\u00a0A former fifth-round pick out of Penn by the\u00a0Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0in the 2018 NFL draft, the speedy Watson will join his third career NFL team and second team in the AFC.<\/p>\n

The Texans are plenty familiar with Watson as they faced him twice during the 2024 NFL season, once in the regular season and once in the playoffs. He recorded one target and no receptions in those games.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The 28-year-old wideout previously signed a one-year deal worth just over $1 million with the Chiefs back in 2022, becoming a crucial role player on offense and special teams. It\u2019d lead to him signing a two-year extension worth $3.4 million in 2023.<\/p>\n

In his three-year stretch in Kansas City, Watson recorded more targets (119), receptions (64), yards (1064), and touchdowns (7) than in his previous four years combined in the NFL at Tampa Bay. He came to play in some very big moments for the Chiefs, so his contributions will be thoroughly appreciated and remembered throughout the Chiefs Kingdom. He\u2019ll exit Kansas City as a two-time Super Bowl champion in Super Bowl LVII and LVIII.<\/p>\n

Watson is the second of\u00a0the Chiefs’ free agents\u00a0expected to sign with a new team since the NFL’s legal tampering period began. Surprisingly, the top-billed free agents for Kansas City have yet to find new homes in the 2025 NFL free agency period. You can check all the moves from the day and leading up to Monday below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver depth has taken a hit during the NFL’s legal tampering period before the 2025 free agency period. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nChiefs' wide receiver depth takes a hit as Justin Watson leaves Kansas City to join AFC South rival in 2025 NFL free agency. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32317\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chiefs' wide receiver depth takes a hit as Justin Watson leaves Kansas City to join AFC South rival in 2025 NFL free agency. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver depth has taken a hit during the NFL’s legal tampering period before the 2025 free agency period. 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