Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury update on key defenders heading into the AFC Championship Game vs. Buffalo Bills
The Kansas City Chiefs' biggest news, which has flown under the radar heading into the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, is their injury situation. They came out of the win over the Houston Texans about as healthy as they could have hoped for. Bryan Cook was evaluated for a head injury during the game, and […]
The Kansas City Chiefs' biggest news, which has flown under the radar heading into the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, is their injury situation.
They came out of the win over the Houston Texans about as healthy as they could have hoped for. Bryan Cook was evaluated for a head injury during the game, and Justin Reid was also evaluated for an injury after a hard collision. Both players were able to return and finish the game strong on Saturday.
"Yeah, there wasn't really anything to mention," Reid told reporters after the game. "Everybody got through it, and they're good. They might have some bumps and bruises, but it's all good."
Another big question after the game was the status of CB Jaylen Watson, who played 40 defensive snaps in his first game back since fracturing his ankle where it meets his leg. Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave reporters an update on Watson when he spoke to the media on Monday.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid says CB Jaylen Watson came out of the game against the Texans no worse for wear. Good news for a player coming back from injury.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctnfl.bsky.social) January 20, 2025 at 11:05 AM
"He came out feeling, feeling good," Reid said of Watson. "I mean, it was, that's one of the positives that you come out with, with Jaylen (Watson), he was fresh from the injury, and you hope that he can not have the swelling that was taking place before and still function at a relatively high speed during the game. I thought he did that. I thought he sustained when given that opportunity."
Watson was on injured reserve for the first matchup between the Bills and Chiefs back in Week 11, contributing to the 262 passing yards allowed, the fourth-most in a single regular season game for Kansas City this season. Watson's last game against Buffalo came in the AFC divisional round in 2023. He played 28 coverage snaps and allowed just one reception for seven yards on three targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
Watson's continued health is vital to the Chiefs' chances of stifling Josh Allen and the Bills' passing attack on Sunday night.
Based on Reid's comments, you can expect a few new names to appear on the injury report on Wednesday with various bumps and bruises as the team starts the practice week. The NFL rules are pretty simple: If you receive treatment from the training staff for an injury, you must be listed on the weekly injury report.
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