Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson reflects on his first preseason game experience
The days are dwindling until the end of training camp as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for the 2022 regular season.
Players are trying to secure starting roles, maintain positions, and others hope to make the final roster cut. The journey for rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson wasn’t going to be easy entering camp, but he’s shown improvement that has kept him in the defensive lineup regularly, rotating with the starters and second-team defense.
The former Washington State standout isn’t taking any moment for granted while making the most of each opportunity. Watson spoke with reporters on Monday about living his dream in the NFL and help from teammates in his transition from college.
“Okay, when I first got here, I was like, ‘wow, I’m really here. I’m in the league,'” said Watson. “It was surreal because you know it’s always been the dream. Then the first preseason game, just looking in the crowd and the national anthem going on, it kind of came back again. Like, ‘wow, I’m really about to play in my first game.’ But after the first play, I was good. I was like, ‘this is what I do. I deserve to be here; I worked for it. Now let’s just play ball.’”
A seventh-round selection in April’s NFL draft, Watson has performed well in training camp. Now with a good preseason performance under his belt, he’s making the case for the 53-man roster in Kansas City. He praised his veteran teammates for their help in grasping defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme.
“That’s just a huge shoutout to the vets,” Watson said. “They’re doing a great job coaching up us younger players. We’ve got a huge group of DB’s, rookie DB’s, a big draft class. But they’re just so open to helping us. Anytime we have a question, we can just pull them to the side, and they’re always there to help us.”
The next few days leading into the Chiefs preseason matchup with the Washington Commanders will be crucial for Watson and several players. A strong performance on Saturday could be just the statement Watson needs to secure his spot on the roster.
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