Benjamin Watson could un-retire and reunite with Pats, report suggests

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter has made numerous reports recently that suggest tight end Benjamin Watson could un-retire and join the Patriots.

One way or another, help should soon be coming to the New England Patriots at the tight end position. Whether it’s through the 2019 NFL Draft (Iowa TE Noah Fant, anyone?), trading for another team’s player, or convincing a retired former Patriot to come back for one more rodeo, the Patriots will surely address their vacancy at starting tight end before September rolls around.

Of course, if it’s the third route, most fans would unabashedly prefer that Rob Gronkowski – who announced his retirement last month – returns for his 10th NFL season. Gronk is the greatest tight end in Patriots franchise history, and has a legitimate argument as the greatest tight end in NFL history as well.

If Gronk can’t be persuaded to call off his retirement in time though, it sounds as if there might be another former New Englander who could be available if called upon. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter made waves when he suggested that recently-retired New Orleans Saints tight end was mulling coming out of retirement to play in his 16th season.

But before Saints fans could get too excited, he appeared on a Boston-area radio show to expand upon his original report, stating that if Watson were to return to the league, he “would not be surprised” if he ended up in Foxborough with the team that originally drafted him back in 2004.

Watson played seven seasons with the Patriots, racking up 20 touchdowns to go along with 2,102 receiving yards on 167 receptions. He later spent time with the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and Baltimore Ravens before returning to the Saints last year.

Patriots fans will remember Watson fondly from his time serving as Tom Brady’s primary tight end receiving threat until Rob Gronkowski was drafted in 2010. Watson won a Super Bowl ring with the Pats during his rookie season, and posted some of the best numbers of his career while playing under Bill Belichick.

Of course, the veteran tight end is also just two years away from 40, and theoretically shouldn’t have much tread left on the tires at this point. He hasn’t started in all 16 games of a regular season since 2015, so if he were to come out of retirement and re-join New England, it might still make sense for the Patriots to try and draft a younger player over the next three days who could learn from and develop behind Watson.