Former Saints tight end Ben Watson, who previously said he would retire, will meet with the Patriots on Thursday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Watson isn’t putting all of his eggs into the Patriots’ basket, either – he’s also considering the Chiefs, Bills and, 49ers, according to Schefter. 
Watson is a free agent following the expiration of his one-year, $2MM Saints contract. He played four of the past six seasons with the Saints, who since replaced him with pricey free agent Jared Cook.
Watson played the 2017 season with the Ravens, missing all of 2016 due to injury, and spent the first three years of this decade in Cleveland. Unfortunately, his 2018 season ended a bit early when he missed the NFC championship game due to appendicitis. He caught 35 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
Now, he could return to where it all began. Watson spent the first six years of his career with the Patriots after entering the league as the final first-round pick in the 2004 draft. After Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement, the Pats could certainly use the help, even if Watson doesn’t offer the same upside as the party animal.
This would be amazing all pats fans should be wanting this. He can’t replace gronk but he can solve a lot of there right end issues. Be great to see him return to NE and retire a patriot. I love good stories.
catch the ball and fall forward – that’s all he has to do
Chiefs!!!!
I’ve got tons of respect for Watson even though he’s never played for my favorite team. He’s a solid player and regarded as one of the league’s “good guys” so I’d love to see him continue his career… even if it is with New England. 😉