3 Chiefs players who need to step up after Mecole Hardman injury

2. Justin Watson

Compared to Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, Justin Watson has flown under the radar as far as Chiefs wide receivers go. The five-year NFL veteran came from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without making much of an impact, and the Chiefs signed him to a one-year deal this February.

Well, now is Watson’s chance to prove it on that limited deal, and it seems that he’s already making strides in that regard. According to RotoWire, Watson was one of two KC wide receivers who saw a major spike in snap count with a presence on 45 snaps.

Unfortunately, the increased snaps in Week 10 only resulted in one catch for 12 yards, but Watson has actually had a noteworthy role in some of KC’s wins this year. Despite only catching seven passes, Watson has 113 yards on the year with two touchdowns.

The Chiefs picked up Watson for a reason, and it seems that so far, Watson is working hard to make the most of every chance he gets with the ball in his hands. If Mahomes can build chemistry with Moore and Watson, the Chiefs could continue to get those deep passes that Hardman and Smith-Schuster were able to execute.

Even if the Chiefs are missing crucial wide receivers in the coming weeks, at least Andy Reid has a few other weapons available like Watson at his disposal.