After reaching at least the AFC Championship for almost a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs will likely lose cornerback Jaylen Watson in free agent after his latest cryptic message. Watson took to Instagram to tease with his cryptic message that he probably won’t return to the team. The Chiefs have several difficult decisions this upcoming offseason in what could be an awkward regime change, and the team is prepared to lose plenty of talent. The cornerback signed off with a final message before the Week 18 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders:
“Dear Chiefs Kingdom, if this is the last ride, I truly thank you for all the passion and support you’ve shown me over the past four years,” Watson said. “The best 4 years of my life.”
Chiefs Top Projected Free Agent Jaylen Watson Posts Cryptic Message
Kansas City is predicted to have one of the worst cap spaces in the league this offseason. It doesn’t look good for a team that could find themselves in a rebuilding mode type scenery. Originally selected as a seventh-round pick, the former Washington State product was a part of one of the best cornerback units. After sharing the field with Trent McDuffie, Watson blossomed into a reliable defender to stop the aerial attack.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Despite recording two interceptions, six pass deflections and 64 combined tackles, Watson’s 2025 campaign was cut short due to a groin injury. However, the cornerback could earn a payday with a new team during free agency, and these three teams might be willing to grant him that.
Top Next Destinations
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys had one of the worst secondaries in football this past 2025 campaign. The team was without Trevon Diggs for the majority of the year until releasing him due to commitment issues. Dallas has been rolling the dice on Reddy Steward, DaRon Bland and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. to save the secondary.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in Dallas’s favor. The Cowboys plan to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, so they should be making some moves soon. Watson isn’t the blockbuster addition that Dallas is looking for, but he’s better than most in the Cowboys’ secondary.
Baltimore Ravens
Meanwhile, the Ravens could use some type of revitalization in the secondary. Despite signing Jaire Alexander, the experiment didn’t work out after trading him to the Eagles. Baltimore is known for bringing in more than one solid cornerback, and the Ravens could add Watson in the mix between Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. Humphrey is getting older, so signing someone like Watson would be a nightmare for the Chiefs, given the rival history.
Watson, Humphrey, Wiggins and Kyle Hamilton sound like a nice complement for the 2026 regular season.
New Orleans Saints
Even though the Saints are in rebuild mode, they still have a solid cornerback duo between Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor. After moving on without Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, the Saints showed some life in the secondary unit, but it might not be enough to retain Taylor. Watson has similar skill abilities to Taylor, so if he signs elsewhere, then this might be the signing the Saints should make, and he would reunite with current starting safety Justin Reid.