Benjamin Watson reportedly likely to return to Patriots

A week after declining to add tight end Benjamin Watson to their roster, the New England Patriots have changed their minds.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Patriots are expected to re-sign Watson for tight end depth after ending his time with the team a week ago.

The Patriots are expected to re-sign veteran TE Benjamin Watson, per source. He was released last week, but should be back in the fold to help a position that could use the depth.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 14, 2019

In his prime, Watson was an excellent pass-catching tight end. As recently as 2018 he had 400 yard receiving and two touchdowns on the season. He had tested positive for a banned substance, leading to a four-game suspension, before the Patriots opted against keeping him around, at least temporarily.

Since Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, New England has needed some help at the position. Though it took an about-face to make it happen, the Patriots are apparently still holding out some hope that the 38-year-old could offer a boost.