We don’t get to say this very often, but for the Kansas City Chiefs, the season really does end after Week 18. Just an offseason that’s going to come with a lot of uncomfortable conversations. There will be new faces coming in, but there will be plenty heading out, too. One of those departures could very well be cornerback Jaylen Watson, and he is already bracing for it.

Watson posted an emotional message directed at Chiefs fans, fully aware that this could be the end of his run in Kansas City. And he didn’t shy away from what that possibility means to him.

“If this is the last ride I truly thank you for all the passion and support you’ve showed over the past 4 years. The best 4 years of my life. From a 7th round draft pick out of Augusta, Ga l felt welcomed since the first day I walked in the building. Never in a million years I could’ve imagined being a 2x Sb champ,” Watson wrote on his X account.

“To playing in arrowhead in front of the best fans in the world. Through the good years and bad you guys were always there 100 degrees or -30. To all my teammates that became brothers thank you for showing us young bulls the way to come in and be a real professional. So many memories will forever be embedded and I will cherish those moments forever,” he added.

What a ride it’s been! A seventh-round pick in 2022, he made the roster as a rookie and just kept earning trust. Over time, he worked his way into the starting lineup and became a steady presence in the secondary.

He’s a long, physical corner who has gotten better every season. Over the last two years, Watson has allowed just one touchdown while recording three pass breakups and two interceptions, according to PFF. He’s played more than 2,000 snaps at outside corner over the past four seasons, holding up in multiple coverages and rarely becoming a liability. Coaches value that.

But value doesn’t always line up with reality. Kansas City is facing a brutal cap situation, sitting with the least available space in the league for 2026. That makes it hard to picture the Chiefs tagging Watson or working out a new long-term deal, no matter how much they like him.

That’s the business part of it. Still, nothing about Watson’s path suggests this is the end of the story.

What’s next for Jaylen Watson?

It probably does mark the end of his time in Kansas City, but that doesn’t mean the end of his NFL story. Not even close. Jaylen Watson is expected to have a real market once free agency opens. A recent ESPN ranking placed Watson as the league’s 15th-best pending free agent, which tells you how he’s viewed around the league.

There should be a payday coming in 2026, just not in KC. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox projects Watson landing with the Tennessee Titans, not the Kansas City Chiefs. In his projection, Watson signs a three-year, $40 million deal in Tennessee, and Knox laid out the logic behind it.

“The Titans need an influx of talent and are projected to have the third-most cap space in the league in 2026. They could also use corner help to bolster a defense ranked 29th in net yards per pass attempt allowed. Tennessee also employs general manager Mike Borgonzi, who joined the Titans after 16 seasons with Kansas City,” he said.

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Knox also acknowledged the reality of the cornerback market. Watson may not be the first name team’s circle. Players like Riq Woolen, Greg Newsome II, or Alontae Taylor might come up sooner in conversations. But for Tennessee, Knox believes Watson checks the right boxes.

For Watson, the desire has never been complicated. He wants to play in the NFL. And if the choice were purely emotional, he wouldn’t go anywhere.

“I would love to. I love Kansas City. I love the fans,” Watson said. “I love everything about it, front office down to the players. I would love to stay here.”

But the NFL doesn’t work like that. The best thing he can do is take what he gets next season to work his way up and hopefully find his way back to the Chiefs someday.