Chiefs’ Armani Watts ‘ready to step in’ as needed in wake of Juan Thornhill’s torn ACL
The Kansas City Chiefs have a hole to fill on defense with rookie safety Juan Thornhill on injured reserve with a torn ACL.
Kansas City isn’t announcing who will replace Thornhill in the starting lineup, and the team has options ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans in the AFC playoffs’ Divisional Round at Arrowhead Stadium.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs certainly appear to be making plans to adjust responsibilities on special teams in anticipation of second-year safety Armani Watts seeing more action.
“That’s the way it works,” special teams coordinator Dave Toub said Thursday. “Guys move up. He was a four-phase special teams guy, and now he’s playing a lot of defense. So, you have to make up for it in other ways. Other guys will have to pick up.”
Watts embraces the potential opportunity to help out on the back end of KC’s defensive coverage.
“I just feel like I’m ready to step in whenever,” Watts said. “We prepare all week like everybody is ready to step in whenever needed, so that’s the big thing about this team is being prepared no matter what the situation. Anything can happen.”
The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Watts spent the past season as a core special teams contributor and recorded 280 snaps, the fourth-most special teams snaps on the team, while recording just 74 on defense.
Forty-eight of those defensive snaps came in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers after Thornhill went down with the knee injury.
Watts was effective, too, recording three tackles as part of a rotation with cornerback Kendall Fuller, whose versatility could also come into play in replacing Thornhill.
Watts credits his time on special teams with helping him develop as a defensive player, which coach Andy Reid reinforced earlier in the week.
“What you see with the guys, particularly linebackers and safeties that play on special teams when they’re young, then you see them develop, are angles and speed of the game,” Reid said Monday. “Angles to the ball. They get accustomed to the speed of the game and playing in space. I would tell you that’s what he has learned through his special teams play.”
“Every down, every play you play on special teams, you’re developing yourself as an offensive or defensive player,” Toub said. “You’re blocking, you’re tackling and just the game experience and how important each play is.
“It’s going to help him with confidence on defense. It’s not like he hasn’t been practicing over there, either. All this time is really going to help him.”
Watts, the Chiefs’ fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, finished this season with five tackles, a sack, two quarterback hits and a pass defensed.
While he has a small body of work, Watts showed off his instincts against the Denver Broncos in Week 7 when he sniffed out a fake punt and stopped punter Colby Wadman from gaining a first down.
The Chiefs will need those kinds of instinctual plays if Watts is indeed the player expected to take a majority of snaps at safety alongside Tyrann Mathieu or even Daniel Sorensen in a three-safety personnel grouping.
Whatever happens Sunday, the starting point is the confidence the Chiefs have in Watts, should he see an increased role.
“I thought he did a nice job filling in two weeks ago, a week and a half ago,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “For one, it was unfortunate what happened to Juan, but that’s what guys are expected to do. When somebody gets hurt, you got to step in. First, you need to know what you’re doing. I think the assistant coaches have done a great job with that.”
And should he get the nod, Watts will be ready to draw from his playing experience on special teams and contribute on defense.
“Really, just being able to be out there and play fast,” Watt said. “Special teams is fast moving, so you have to make a split-second decision because a big play can happen at any time. So, just carrying that over to the defensive side and special teams, as well.”
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 3:50 PM.
