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.