Chiefs’ Jaylen Watson Drops Cryptic Post Before NFL Free Agency

Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to trade star cornerback Trent McDuffie, KC now has a much more apparent need in the secondary, and that could lead to them making a real push to re-sign cornerback Jaylen Watson in NFL free agency.

On the evening of March 8, just before the start of the league’s legal tampering period on March 9, Watson made news when he dropped a brief cryptic post on social media: “😏.”

The ambiguous message was just one character long: a “smirking” emoji. Of course, this could mean different things.

In one sense, Watson could be smirking because he knows he’s about to get paid. The former seventh-round selection has earned a little over $6 million in his career, according to Over the Cap.

Not bad for the average 27-year-old, but that’s still nothing compared to what Watson is about to make.

In the NFL, a second contract can create generational wealth for an athlete’s family. And Watson could be taking that all in now, knowing that one team will guarantee him a large sum of money.

At the same time, he could be smirking because he knows the Chiefs are willing to bring him back.

Watson is not allowed to negotiate with any new teams until March 9, but you can always discuss an extension with your current franchise at any time. Perhaps ongoing negotiations with Kansas City are on the right track, which could cause the CB’s post.

Option No. 3 is that Watson’s message has nothing to do with football or NFL free agency at all. Although this feels less likely, given the timing, it’s always possible that a professional athlete is using social media as an outlet for other aspects of their life.

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Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson Is Projected to Earn a 4-Year, $73 Million Contract in NFL Free Agency

No matter what Watson’s intentions were on March 8, the Chiefs are likely hoping that he’s willing to return in free agency.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper projected that Watson will earn a four-year, $73 million contract in 2026. Popper also ranked the Chiefs cornerback as his 33rd-best free agent this offseason.

“Watson is a sticky press corner who is excellent at the line of scrimmage, mirroring releases and taking away space from receivers,” Popper wrote ahead of NFL free agency. “He has outstanding route recognition and reactions. He is very rarely out of phase early in downs. Watson is also physical in run support. He lacks the long speed of the truly elite corners.”

There aren’t too many top-tier CBs available this March, and that ups the value of Watson. If the Chiefs want him back, they may have to win a high-stakes bidding war to get him.

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Latest Chiefs News on Jaylen Watson

On March 5, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo provided the latest on the Chiefs and Watson.

“Now, you’ve got to decide what you want to do with Jaylen Watson, who’s also a free agent at the cornerback position, and a guy that is extremely highly thought of,” the insider began on “Good Morning Football.”

He went on to explain the importance of Watson without McDuffie on the roster.

“The Chiefs are going to make a run at Jaylen Watson, who has really come along as a complete cornerback,” Garafolo continued. “Can now show that he can do a little bit of everything. He’s got length, he’s got speed, he can play press [coverage], he can tackle. His instincts have come along, again, thanks to the tutelage of [Dave] Merritt… and Steve Spagnuolo as the defensive coordinator as well.”

“I’m really now looking to see what they’re going to do with Watson,” the NFL Network insider finally concluded. “Maybe the Chiefs were saying — we’ve got to clear some space because this is one of the guys that we have to pay. Keep an eye [out] to see how that goes for Watson here in the coming days.”

Michael Obermuller covers the NFL as an Associate Editor for Heavy Sports, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the NFL breaking news operation, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. Michael is an NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate. More about Michael Obermuller