Justin Watson injury latest: Impressive rookie WR could step up

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The Chiefs’ victory on Thursday came at a cost, as it was announced the day after the game that Justin Watson had suffered a dislocated elbow.

X-rays were negative; however, he will miss at least a few weeks of action and potentially more, according to reports.

His absence leaves a lot of uncertainty to a Chiefs offense that is heavily dependent on the Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce connection.

Of course, Kelce will still be the primary target and be called upon often, but Watson’s absence takes away something which has been under the radar all season in KC: chunk plays.

Chunk plays as in turning a simple play into a big one, which Watson has done incredibly well for the Chiefs this year.

He has 21.9 yards per catch in 2023, leading the Chiefs in that department, hauling in 10 receptions for 219 yards in six contests.

That far exceeds any other Chiefs wide receiver this year, while their leading pass catcher, tight end Travis Kelce, who leads the team in receiving yards (346), is only averaging 9.6 yards per catch, well below what Watson has brought to the table.

Who steps up

Marquez Valdes-Scantling has the second-highest Chiefs average regarding yards-per-catch at 16.6, though he has yet to find the end zone in 2023.

Skyy Moore is currently averaging 13.2 yards per catch, rookie Rashee Rice has 11.7, and Kadarius Toney has 5.4 yards per catch.

Of all the Chiefs receivers this year, Rice leads them for receiving yards (245) as he and Watson are the only KC wide receivers with over 200, and Rice has as many TD catches as the rest of the wide receiving corps (two).

We knew entering the campaign, minus a seasoned veteran in JuJu Smith-Schuster, that the receiver room would be a little thinner in Kansas City, and now there is a chance for someone to make their mark.

While Valdez-Scantling has slightly improved his yards-per-catch ratio this year, he’s only produced a minuscule 21 yards after the catch thus far.

Rice, meanwhile has 148 yards after the catch, just one fewer than Travis Kelce, with running back Isiah Pacheco leading KC in that department with 177 after six weeks.

The longest play as a rookie for Rice has gone for 28 yards, while he’s made three big plays, two fewer than Watson before his injury and one more than Kelce.

Meanwhile, Rice has proven to be a reliable pass catcher when the Chiefs need to move the chains, with 13 first downs, second only to Travis Kelce (17).

Statistically speaking, Rice looks like the best candidate to be the primary wide receiver, but has he done enough to gain the trust of Mahomes and Andy Reid to shoulder that load?

There should be plenty of opportunities for the Chiefs to spread the ball around in the weeks to come.

KC take on the Chargers and Denver over the next two weeks, two of the worst pass defences in the NFL.

That means there’s a chance for someone to take the reins and establish themselves to be the go-to guy at wide receiver.