KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs may not miss a leading receiver for too long.
Wide receiver Justin Watson injured his elbow against the Denver Broncos this past Thursday in the fourth quarter.
Early reports indicated Watson dislocated his elbow.
He was diagnosed with an elbow contusion, but head coach Andy Reid thinks he avoided the need to be put on injured reserve.
Being placed on injured reserve guarantees a player is out for four games at least. If Reid is optimistic about Watson, he could be back within the next four weeks.
Watson did not practice on Wednesday.
He is currently second on the team in receiving yards behind rookie Rashee Rice and leads the team with 21.9 yards per reception.
The Chiefs also also without wide receiver Richie James who suffered an MCL injury in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rice has been slowly emerging as one of the Chiefs’ most reliable receivers and could see more opportunities in Watson’s absence.
News also broke on Wednesday that the team traded for Mecole Hardman, returning a familiar face from high-octane offenses of the past few seasons.
