Sammy Watkins said during the playoffs last season that he might consider taking a year off from football in 2020 if the Kansas City Chiefs ended up winning the Super Bowl, but the wide receiver is going to keep playing.
Watkins told Chiefs fans he is “back” in a tweet on Friday morning, and he confirmed a report from Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports that he has agreed to a restructured contract with the team. The 26-year-old was set to make a base salary of about $14 million next season, but that number has been lowered to $9 million with $7 million in additional incentives. Watkins also got a no-trade clause from Kansas City, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chiefs’ WR Sammy Watkins restructured his contract, as @TerezPaylor reported.
Watkins had one year left at $14M, non guaranteed. Now he’s got a one-year deal worth up to $16M, that includes $7M in incentives AND a no-trade clause. Watkins will be a UFA again at 27 years old.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2020
The move frees up salary cap space for the Chiefs and gives Watkins the opportunity to earn more money if he hits the incentives. Watkins’ cap hit was originally scheduled to be a whopping $21 million, so you can understand why the restructure was a priority for Kansas City.
Watkins had 52 catches for 673 yards and three touchdowns last season. He also played a big role in the postseason with 14 catches for 288 and a touchdown, but he did not produce like an elite receiver who deserves to occupy that much of the salary cap. The new deal should work out for both sides.
