Patriots Rumors: Ex-Saint Ben Watson Visiting NE Amid 49ers, Chiefs, Bills Buzz

Former New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson, who announced his intention to retire in December, is reportedly visiting the New England Patriots on Thursday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the update and noted the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are also interested with Watson set to end his short-lived retirement.

NFL Films posted a behind-the-scenes video with the tight end discussing his readiness to play the role of father to his five children. That number increased to seven in April when he announced his wife, Kirsten Watson, had given birth to twins:

Watson played a limited role with the Saints in 2018, tallying 35 catches for 400 yards and two touchdowns while appearing in all 16 games, but Pro Football Focus still graded him as the league's 17th-best tight end.

His most productive season came with New Orleans in 2015, when he finished with 74 receptions for 825 yards and six scores.

Watson was a first-round pick of the Patriots in the 2004 NFL draft. The University of Georgia product played the first six years of his career with the Pats and has since made stops with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in addition to a pair of stints with the Saints.

A return to New England would help the reigning Super Bowl champions fill the void left by superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski, who announced his own retirement in March. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is currently penciled in as the team's starter.

Watson could land a lucrative short-term contract with four teams already showing interest.