Benjamin Watson did not make the type of impact with the New England Patriots in 2019 that fans were hoping for, and some of that may have had to do with the fact that the tight end was playing through a significant injury.
Watson shared a somewhat shocking revelation on his Instagram story Friday when he said he tore his Achilles during the 2019 season. He credited his personal trainer from Tom Brady’s TB12 Sports Therapy Center for helping to keep him on the field.
#Patriots TE @BenjaminSWatson played the 2019 season with a torn Achilles. That's toughness right there. pic.twitter.com/ZZFqBQ6T9Q
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 17, 2020
Watson didn’t share any details of the injury, but it’s hard to believe he played with a completely torn Achilles. That is one of the most difficult injuries in sports to come back from, and playing on it would be incredibly difficult — especially for a 39-year-old.
After he was suspended four games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, the Patriots initially decided not to add Watson to their 53-man roster when he became eligible to play. They then brought him back, and he caught just 17 passes in 10 games. New England had a massive void at the tight end position after Rob Gronkowski retired, and Watson was unable to do much to help fill it.
