NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 13: Benjamin Watson #82 of the New Orleans Saints stands on the field during the NFC Divisional Playoff against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
New Orleans Saints tight end, Ben Watson, has health concerns that could keep him from the Super Bowl if it worsens.
Ben Watson, New Orleans Saints tight end, could miss the Super Bowl if his health takes a turn for the worse — if the team makes it there of course.
According to ESPN, Watson will miss the NFC Championship game on Sunday due to an attack of appendicitis but has not yet required surgery. If Watson can remain surgery free he has a chance of recovering in time for the Super Bowl should the Saints defeat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Watson already missed practice Wednesday and Thursday and showed up to practice on Friday (which seems like a good sign) but it was determined he should not play on Sunday. There is still a chance that he could need surgery, in which case he’d not be able to make it the Super Bowl and that could prove to be a turning point for the Saints chances in the big show.
Watson, 38, announced that this would be his last season playing which means that if the team doesn’t make it the Super Bowl, or they do and Watson isn’t healthy enough to play, he could have already played his last game and not even known it.
Filling in for Watson will be Josh Hill. Though Hill had more snaps than Watson for the season but had less (nearly by half) targets than Watson.
The Super Bowl takes place Sunday, Feb. 3 live from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Whoever wins on Sunday will face either the Kansas City Chiefs or the New England Patriots on Sunday.