Packers signing Sammy Watkins to reported 1-year deal

The Green Bay Packers are signing wideout Sammy Watkins, the team announced Thursday.

The two sides agreed on a one-year deal worth up to $4 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Watkins spent the 2021 season with the Baltimore Ravens, recording 27 receptions for 394 yards in 13 contests.

The 28-year-old joins his fifth NFL club since being a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2014. He also spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

Watkins was a reliable weapon for the Chiefs from 2018-20, racking up 129 receptions for 1,613 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also a contributing member of the Super Bowl LIV roster.

The veteran’s arrival provides much-needed depth at receiver for Green Bay following the offseason departures of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Watkins joins a group that features Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb among the pass-catching options for reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Watkins excited to play with ‘special’ Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens lost out on JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton in free agency in an attempt to bolster Lamar Jackson‘s weaponry before the team ultimately landed receiver Sammy Watkins on a one-year contract.

But for Watkins, the Ravens were always at the top of his list.

“I think going through this process and knowing I was going to be a free agent, you look at a lot of different teams, and there was one team that stuck out – it was the Ravens and Lamar Jackson,” Watkins said Monday. “(I’ve) heard too many great stories about just the team and the history of Baltimore.”

There was speculation that free-agent wideouts didn’t view the AFC North team as a favorable landing spot after the Ravens finished 32nd in both passing yards and attempts last season.

Smith-Schuster and Hilton reportedly turned down larger offers from Baltimore to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.

Watkins, however, has no doubts about the Jackson-led offense.

“Kind of talked to him like, ‘Man, this is your show, I just want to be a part of it. You’re a special talent, and I just want to come here and try to help out as far as making plays for you, making it easier on you,'” Watkins added. “He just said the same thing, ‘I just want a guy that can go out there and ball, have fun, enjoy himself, and bring that swagger.’ And I can’t wait to work with him.”

Watkins will start alongside former first-round pick Marquise Brown, who has flashed star potential over his first two seasons but has consistently struggled to act as Jackson’s primary target.

While Brown had 769 yards and eight touchdowns – both team highs – last season, he only caught 58 of his 100 targets from the former NFL MVP.

Watkins hasn’t produced a 1,000-yard campaign since 2015 and had just 421 yards as a secondary option for the Kansas City Chiefs last year. Still, the veteran should bring much-needed experience to a young Ravens receiver group.

Ravens, Watkins agree to 1-year, $6M deal

The Baltimore Ravens and wide receiver Sammy Watkins agreed to a one-year contract pending the results of a physical, the team announced.

The deal is worth $6 million and includes $5 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Watkins spent the last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, averaging 61 receptions, 759 yards, and four touchdowns per 16 games played. The 27-year-old, who was an important weapon in the playoffs during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run two seasons ago, racked up 27 catches for 421 yards and two scores through 10 games last year.

The Ravens will be the Clemson product’s fourth team. The former fourth overall pick also spent time with the Buffalo Bills (2014-16) and Los Angeles Rams (2017).

Watkins is Baltimore’s latest attempt to improve the offensive supporting cast around quarterback Lamar Jackson, but it might not be the last as the veteran pass-catcher has struggled to stay healthy (14 regular-season games missed since 2018) and has topped 50 catches only once over the last five years.

The team has been trying to add a new wide receiver since free agency began but has failed to land the top options available. Baltimore reportedly pursued JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kenny Golladay before they signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, respectively.

The Ravens have struggled to own a balanced offense in recent years. While their run game ranked first in each of the last two seasons, the passing attack placed last in 2020 with just 171.2 yards per game. Wideout Marquise Brown was Jackson’s main target last year with 58 receptions, 769 yards, and eight touchdowns.

In Baltimore, Watkins will reunite with offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who was the Bills offensive coordinator for two seasons and helped Watkins post his only 1,000-yard season in 2015.

The Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans reportedly were also interested in Watkins.

Chiefs’ Watkins could miss multiple weeks with hamstring injury

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins is expected to be sidelined for some time – “possibly a couple weeks” – due to a hamstring injury that’s still being evaluated, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Watkins suffered the injury during the Chiefs’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday and was forced out of the game in the second half.

The 27-year-old, who joined the Chiefs prior to the 2018 season, has struggled to stay healthy since entering the NFL in 2014. He missed eight games through his first two campaigns with Kansas City.

Watkins racked up 21 receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns through five appearances this season.

The former first-round pick is set to become a free agent this offseason.

Watkins agrees to new 1-year, $9M deal with Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs reached an agreement with Sammy Watkins on a new one-year contract that will pay him a base salary of $9 million in 2020 and can reach $16 million with incentives, a source told Yahoo Sports’ Terez A. Paylor.

The wideout’s new contract will save Kansas City $5 million against the cap, according to Paylor. It also includes a no-trade clause, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Heading into this offseason, Watkins had one non-guaranteed year remaining on his previous deal worth $14 million, so rumors quickly surfaced that the Chiefs could release him to create cap space. The former fourth overall pick signed a three-year pact in 2018 worth $48 million with $30 million guaranteed.

The 26-year-old struggled to consistently make an impact during the 2019 regular season – catching 52 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns – but put in strong performances during Kansas City’s run to the Super Bowl.

Watkins will now stay with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a group of dynamic receivers that includes Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and recently-re-signed Demarcus Robinson.

Chiefs’ Watkins wants ‘downtime’ in offseason to recover from playoff run

After helping lead the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl glory, wide receiver Sammy Watkins is hoping to get away from the game to recharge.

Watkins said Tuesday he doesn’t want to retire or sit out next season, as he hinted at prior to the Super Bowl. But the 26-year-old could look to skip some of Kansas City’s offseason program.

“At the end of the day, I think the Kansas City Chiefs are in control as far as contract talks, you know? A guy of my stature, I’m still young, I still think I have a lot of good football in me,” Watkins told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “But as you know, it takes a toll on the body, the mental, the physical and I’m gonna really weigh my options out and see if I need to sit out the whole OTAs or something like that, just to get my mental back and be with my kids and family.

“It’s been a long season for the last two years. We’ve been in the playoffs, going all the way to the third round last year, then won the Super Bowl. So I honestly think mentally, physically, soulfully, spiritually, I need some downtime. So I will talk to coach (Andy) Reid about it.

“I don’t control the contract, the trade, or if they’re going to give me a bigger contract. That’s not my worry. I’m not really focused on the money aspect of it. I’m really focused on my health, mental health, and really checking in on and making sure I’m OK with my life, my family, my wife, my kids. Once I figure that out, I think I’ll be fine.”

Watkins’ future with the Chiefs is up in the air. The pass-catcher’s $21-million cap hit is the second-highest on the team and the largest at his position, per Spotrac. The Chiefs can save $14 million in cap space by cutting him.

While the receiver put in strong performances during the postseason, he struggled to consistently make an impact in the regular season, catching 52 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns.

The Chiefs would like to retain Watkins and will try and figure out how to do so despite their cap issues, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones is set to hit free agency and could be franchise tagged, while a record-setting deal for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on the horizon.

Watkins would consider pay cut to aid Mahomes extension after Superbowl

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Sammy Watkins would consider taking a pay cut to help facilitate a contract extension for Patrick Mahomes after the dust settles from Super Bowl LIV.

“I don’t want to say I will be (open to a pay cut). I don’t want to say I won’t,” Watkins told Kevin Patra of NFL.com on Thursday. “I just think I’m a special player. I think I deserve all the things I deserve. If I’m at home and thinking about it, if I have to do it to pay Pat, I maybe will. That’s a guy that we should pay, and he needs to get paid. But you never know, that’s a decision I’d have to go through. Or, I might just take off a year after we win the Super Bowl, you never know.”

Watkins is scheduled to count $21 million against the salary cap in 2020, the final season of his three-year pact. Mahomes, meanwhile, is expected to reset the quarterback market with his next deal, which reportedly could come down the pipes in the offseason.

Watkins ranked third on the Chiefs in receiving during the regular season, posting 52 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns across 14 outings. He has nine catches for 190 yards and a score in two playoff contests.

“I don’t think numbers prove anything,” he said. “Numbers are just numbers to me. Numbers may mean a lot to the world, but I don’t think that proves what I do for this team. Me bringing the great energy every day, me being the person that I am … I don’t think my value is all off scoring touchdowns or getting 1,000 yards receiving. I don’t think I’m valued like that. I’m valued off being around the guy, being positive, coming into work every day, being a professional. I think if you would judge me off that, you would give me the world.”

Watkins: Chiefs’ offense is ‘mental challenge … gets me up every day’

The Kansas City Chiefs seem intent to get everything they can out of wide receiver Sammy Watkins in the first season of the three-year, $48-million contract he signed as a free agent this offseason.

Watkins was asked during offseason practices to move around the field and run a wide variety of routes. The usage provided a challenge he’s enjoying.

“This offense is the broadest offense I’ve ever been in,” Watkins said, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN. “It’s definitely a mental challenge. But I think that’s what kind of gets me up every day to study the plays and come out here encouraged. Anybody can get the ball and I’ve got to learn all the positions. I can’t just learn one position.”

Watkins, who spent the 2017 season with the Los Angeles Rams and Coach of the Year Sean McVay, spoke highly of new head coach Andy Reid.

“I’ve never been in an offense like this, around a coach that just feels like he’s obsessed with the game and makes you want to be obsessed with it, too, to know more about the offense,” Watkins said.

The 25-year-old caught just 39 of 70 targets for 593 yards last season, but he posted eight touchdowns for the second-highest single-season total of his four-year career.

Report: Bills undecided on Watkins’ 5th-year option due to injury guarantees

The Buffalo Bills have until May 2 to decide whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option in Sammy Watkins‘ rookie contract. It was assumed it would be a fairly easy decision due to the receiver’s stellar play, but the Bills are reportedly hesitant because of his struggles staying on the field.

The Bills have yet to make a concrete decision either way and will discuss internally over the next couple of weeks, with the delay due to the fact the fifth-year option, worth around $13 million, would be guaranteed against injury, a source told Sal Capaccio of WGR 550.

Watkins has missed 11 games over the past two seasons, including eight in 2016 due to a foot injury. However, he’s flashed the potential to be a top-tier No. 1 target, highlighted by his 60-catch, 1,047-yard, nine-touchdown 2015 campaign, in which he was limited to 13 games.

It would be a surprise if the Bills don’t ultimately take a risk on their 2014 first-rounder and pick up the option, as Watkins is the only valuable long-term piece the team has at receiver.

Frustrated Bills sound off on potential changes after missing playoffs

The Buffalo Bills will miss the playoffs for the 17th consecutive season and, with changes looming, the team’s players let their frustration show following Sunday’s 35-25 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Head coach Rex Ryan told his players there “could be drastic changes” coming and admitted to media “everything has to be looked at.”

“If you’re not going to do your job, cut him,” wide receiver Sammy Watkins said, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. “It needs to be a business. We need some nasty coaches.

“If they’re not doing their job, get them out of here. If I’m not doing my job, step to me, get me out of here.”

Watkins has been the Bills’ best offensive player this season, catching 44 passes for 817 yards and nine touchdowns, so his spot is likely safe going forward. Veteran pass-rusher Mario Williams, on the other hand, isn’t so sure.

“Of course there’s going to be changes,” Williams said. “That’s obvious. You just wait and see if your number’s called.”

But the disgruntled Williams didn’t leave it there, continuing to criticize the Bills’ defensive scheme as he’s done throughout the season.

“If you’re a bully on the field you don’t let anything else dictate what you do,” Willaims said. “We’re trying to switch men as they’re coming out of the huddle. That’s happened a few times in 10 years with me. A few times.”