The Kansas City Chiefs elevated practice squad wide receivers Justin Watson and Andrew Armstrong for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, a move that gives Kansas City extra depth at a position group that has been thinned by injuries and absences. If Armstrong is active, Sunday could become his NFL debut.
The timing matters because the Chiefs, who were last seen moving to 4-0 in Week 4, needed help after Tyquan Thornton dislocated his ankle late in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders and Rashee Rice was ruled out on Friday for Sunday’s game. With one receiver already on the shelf and another unavailable, the Chiefs used both of their practice squad elevations on the same unit for a game that now carries more roster pressure than it did a week ago.
Watson is a familiar name in Kansas City. He played for the Chiefs from 2022-25, caught 119 passes for 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns over three seasons, then signed a two-year contract with the Houston Texans in 2025 before not making that team after training camp. He returned to the Chiefs’ practice squad on Monday after Thornton’s injury, giving Kansas City a receiver who already knows the system and the demands of Sunday’s game.
Armstrong’s path is the more revealing one. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins in 2025, signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Chiefs in January, then was waived during final cutdowns before coming back to the Chiefs’ practice squad. He had made a case to stick through training camp, but the numbers still pushed him out, and the practice squad became the route back.
That is why this promotion lands with more weight than a routine depth move. A practice squad elevation does not guarantee a player will be active on game day, and it does not guarantee snaps once the game starts. Armstrong still has to make the active list before he can step onto the field, which leaves his debut possible but not promised. The Chiefs have made the roster move. Sunday will decide whether he gets the first catch, the first route, or just the first look at NFL game speed.
The Chargers made their own roster adjustments, elevating Isas Wexter and Daniel Brunskill, signing Caleb Murphy from the practice squad and placing Alex Ingold on Reserve/Injured earlier in the week, then activating KeAndre Lambert-Smith on Saturday while releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Kansas City’s decision to call up Watson and Armstrong fits the same stripped-down reality: by Week 6, the margin at receiver has already narrowed, and the next man up is no longer a slogan but a test.
