Former New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson is making a free agent visit with the New England Patriots on Thursday, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN and later confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Schefter also reported that Watson is weighing offers from other teams. His options include the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills. Another reunion with the Saints (he first played for them from 2013 to 2015, before returning in 2018) doesn’t appear to be in the cards for Watson.
A return to New England would make plenty of sense for Watson. It’s where his long NFL career began when the Patriots drafted him out of Georgia, way back in 2004. Their superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski retired earlier this offseason and they didn’t fill the void he left during free agency or the draft. Watson would immediately start for a Super Bowl contender, playing with a coach and quarterback that he’s familiar with. It would be Tom Brady’s luck to lose one Hall of Fame tight end, Gronkowski, to retirement only to have someone of Watson’s stature leave retirement step right into the lineup.
The downside for Saints fans is that he could accomplish all of those things in New Orleans. It’s tough for Watson in particular because his Saints career feels unfinished; his last appearance was cut short, forced to watch the NFC title game from the sidelines after an appendicitis scare.
Either way, Watson appears intent on continuing his NFL career. He had job offers after retiring that included a possible broadcast role with ESPN, but he must feel like he has one more good year left in him.
