Report: Chiefs Want to Keep WR Sammy Watkins Amid Salary-Cap Concerns

Sammy Watkins has earned his keep.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that the Kansas City Chiefs "would like to have" the 26-year-old wide receiver back in 2020:

Watkins hauled in five catches for 98 yards in the team's 31-20 Super Bowl LIV victory over the San Francisco 49ers, including a crucial 38-yard catch on the Chiefs' game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter:

The Chiefs signed Watkins to a three-year contract during free agency in March 2018. Next season is set to be the 2014 fourth overall pick's final one on his current deal, per Spotrac, and he will be owed $13.75 million in base salary while carrying a $21 million cap hit. 

Watkins made headlines last week for telling reporters he "might chill out" and "sit out a year" if the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. However, the Clemson product backtracked those comments while visiting with NFL Network on the field after Kansas City's first championship in 50 years.

"I will not sit out, man," Watkins said. "That's not my motive. When media come in and ask you crazy questions, you know, sometimes you throw out crazy things. But man, I'm coming back and I'm gonna be ready, prepared, win another win one. That's my motive. I'm too young to sit out."

Watkins addressed the possibility of taking a pay cut in order to stay with the Chiefs with NFL.com's Kevin Patra last Thursday: 

"I don't want to say I will be (open to a pay cut). I don't want to say I won't. I just think I'm a special player. I think I deserve all the things I deserve. If I'm at home and thinking about it, if I have to do it to pay [quarterback] Pat [Mahomes], I maybe will. That's a guy that we should pay, and he needs to get paid. But you never know, that's a decision I'd have to go through."

Mahomes, the 2018 league MVP, was named the Super Bowl LIV MVP and joined Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith as the only players in league history to win a league MVP and Super Bowl title before turning 25 years old. At 24 years and 138 days old, the 2017 10th overall pick surpassed Tom Brady as the youngest-ever Super Bowl MVP.

Playing with Mahomes is presumably a major motivating factor to stay in Kansas City for Watkins, who already told reporters during Super Bowl Opening Night that deciding to come play for head coach Andy Reid was "probably the best decision of my life."

There seems to be interest from both sides to stay together, but money will quite literally have to be put where their mouths are. 

Watkins finished the 2019 regular season with the team's third-most catches (52) and receiving yards (673) as well as fifth-most receiving touchdowns (three). However, his postseason performance solidified his importance in a stacked receiving corps alongside Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman.

The former Buffalo Bill and Los Angeles Ram set a Chiefs franchise record by notching 288 receiving yards this postseason. Watkins' best single-game performance came in the AFC Championship Game against the Titans with seven catches for 114 yards and one touchdown.

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