Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins is one of three players listed as questionable for Super Bowl LV.
Bucs’ WR Antonio Brown and TE Cameron Brate are also listed as questionable heading into the game. Despite the questionable status for each player, a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter says that all three of them are expected to be able to play on Sunday.
Our last update on Watkins informed us that this practice week went much differently than the week leading up to the AFC title game against the Buffalo Bills. Chiefs HC Andy Reid also felt encouraged by his performance during practice on Friday.
Three players — Bucs’ WR Antonio Brown (knee), TE Cameron Brate (back), Chiefs’ WR Sammy Watkins (calf) — are listed as questionable for Sunday, but all are expected to play in Super Bowl LV, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021
At the end of the day, every player is always going to try and push through injuries to play in the Super Bowl. It’s the biggest game of the year, a game that you never know if you’ll get a chance to play in again.
Assuming Watkins does suit up and play as Schefter’s report would suggest, we likely won’t know how close to 100% he is until he actually plays a few snaps. When Watkins spoke to the media during the week leading up to the Super Bowl, he offered a range of anywhere from 85 to 100% in terms of how he could feel on Sunday. Where he’s at in that range will likely determine the type of role that he has for the game.
If Watkins is closer to 85%, expect a more prominent role for guys like Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle. If he’s closer to 100%, that’ll mean we’ll get a full helping of “Playoff Sammy” and it’d be big news for the success of the Chiefs’ offense. The team averages more points and yards per game when he’s on the field in any capacity, but he has a penchant for going off in a big way during the playoffs.
