NFL CAREER – This 15-year veteran returns to the New Orleans Saints after spending the past two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Watson brings a combination of athleticism, strength and speed, to go along with his sure hands and rugged body. Originally a first round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2004, he returns to New Orleans after coming off a successful campaign with the Ravens in 2017, where he posted a team leading 61 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns. With career totals in 179 games with 132 starts of 495 receptions for 5,485 yards (11.1 avg.) with 42 touchdowns, Watson's ability to get open as well as his outstanding leadership abilities and reputation as one of the club's hardest workers make him a solid fit for the Saints both on and off the field.​
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Agreed to terms with Saints on a two-year contract (UFA-BAL), 3/28/18; Placed on Injured Reserve by Baltimore, 8/29/16; Signed by Baltimore Ravens to a two-year contract (UFA-NO), 3/9/16; Signed by Saints to a three-year contract (UFA-CLE), 3/18/13; Placed on injured reserve by Cleveland Browns, 12/16/11; Signed by Cleveland to three-year contract (UFA-NE), 3/12/10; Placed on injured reserve by the New England Patriots, 9/29/04; Signed by New England to a six-year contract, 8/16/04; Selected by New England in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.
2017 – Appeared in all 16 games with 12 starts posting 61 receptions for 522 yards with four touchdowns…Led the Ravens with a team leading 61 receptions on the year…Was tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns…Was second on the team in receiving yards (522)…Was fourth on team with 30 first down conversions…Vs. Cleveland, Sept. 17, recorded season-high eight receptions for season-high 91 yards, surpassing 5,000 career yards…Posted a six-yard touchdown at Jacksonville, Sept. 24...Made four receptions for 74 yards at Cleveland, Dec. 17…Posted seven receptions for 61 yards in season finale vs. Cincinnati, Dec. 31. 2016 – Missed the entire 2016 season with a torn Achilles. 2015 – Appeared in all 16 games with nine starts and set career-highs with 74 catches and 825 receiving yards and matched a career-best 6 touchdown catches (2007)...Ranked seventh, eighth and tied for seventh in catches, receiving yards and receiving TDs, respectively, among NFL TEs…Posted a single-game career-best 147 yards (fourth-career 100-yard output) and one TD on a game-high nine receptions, including a career-long 46-yard grab, vs. New York Giants, Nov. 11…Notched his second-career 10-catch game for 127 receiving yards and one TD vs. Atl., Oct. 15, becoming the third TE in Saints history to record 10 catches, 125 receiving yards and a receiving TD in a game. 2014 – Played in all 16 contests with nine starts and caught 20 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns…Hauled in five passes for 43 yards, setting season-highs in both categories vs. Tampa Bay, Oct. 5...Caught a season-long 15-yard TD grab at Pittsburgh, Nov. 30...Posted a touchdown in second consecutive game with a seven-yard grab vs. Carolina, Dec. 7. 2013 – Played in 15 games with seven starts in first season in New Orleans…Hauled in 19 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Started both postseason contests and had a 27-yard grab in Divisional Playoff at Philadelphia, 1/4/14. Inactive vs. San Francisco, Nov. 17 (concussion)…Brought in a four-yard TD vs. Miami, Sept. 30…Finished with three receptions for 61 yards against team that originally drafted him at New England, Oct. 13. 2012 – Played in all 16 games with 14 starts…Hauled in 49 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns. Reception total fourth on team, while ranked third in receiving touchdowns and receiving yardage…In Browns' first win of season vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 14, gave team lead for good with a fourth quarter TD reception…Recorded four receptions for 47 yards and tied career-high with two TDs at Dallas, Nov. 18…Registered six receptions for season-high 80 yards at Oakland, Dec. 2…Led team in receiving in finale at Pittsburgh, Dec. 30, with seven receptions for 64 yards. 2011 – Played in 13 games with 11 starts and caught 37 passes for 410 yards and two touchdowns, finishing third on team in receptions and receiving yards…Had three catches for 45 yards vs. Cincinnati, Sept. 11, including a 34-yard touchdown…Hauled in season-high six receptions for 48 yards vs. Tennessee, Oct. 2, and scored on fourth quarter 10-yard pass from QB Colt McCoy on fourth-and-nine…Appeared in his 100th career regular season contest at Pittsburgh, Dec. 8, and caught two passes for 11 yards before leaving in second quarter with season-ending concussion. 2010 – Started a career-high 16 games and led the team in all three receiving categories with 68 receptions for 763 yards (11.2 avg.) and three touchdown grabs…Reception total 10th in AFC overall, first among conference TEs, fifth among NFL TEs and the sixth-highest single-season figure by Browns TE…Yardage figure second among league TEs, was trailed only Antonio Gates (782)…Also was fifth-most among all NFL TEs and eighth-most ever by a Browns TE…Became first Browns TE to lead Browns in receiving yards since Ozzie Newsome (711) in 1985…One of only three tight ends to lead their club in both receptions and receiving yards. Had five or more catches in game eight times…Hauled in a career-long 44-yard reception from Seneca Wallace against Kansas City, Sept. 19…Recorded TDs from Wallace (at Baltimore, Sept. 26), McCoy (at Pittsburgh, Oct. 17) and Jake Delhomme (at Miami, Dec. 5). Against Dolphins, set a career-high with ten receptions for 100 yards. 2009 – Played in all 16 regular season games with seven starts in last campaign in New England. Ranked fifth on team with 29 receptions for 404 yards and five touchdowns…Recorded season-high six receptions for 77 yards, while matching career-high with two TDs against Buffalo, Sept. 14. 2008 – Played in 14 games with nine starts and finished fifth on team with 22 receptions for 209 yards and five touchdowns…Tallied season-highs with eight receptions for 88 yards and a TD vs. N.Y. Jets, Nov. 13…Registered his second touchdown reception of season with a two-yard scoring strike from Matt Cassel in the Patriots' comeback victory at Seattle, Dec. 7. 2007 –Played in 12 regular season games with eight starts…Caught 36 passes for 289 yards (10.8 avg.), with a career-high six touchdowns…Set career-highs in receiving yardage (107) and receiving TDs (2) vs. Cleveland, Oct. 7…Member of the special teams unit that blocked for Ellis Hobbs' NFL record-setting 108-yard kickoff return for a TD at N.Y. Jets, Sept. 9…Recorded a touchdown reception in each of his first three games…Hauled in sixth TD catch of season on a three-yard TD at Buffalo, Nov. 18…Had two TDs in the AFC Divisional Playoff vs. Jacksonville, 1/12/08. 2006 – Started all 13 games he played in and finished second on team with 49 receptions for 643 receiving yards (13.1 avg.) with three touchdowns…Led the Patriots with 95 receiving yards on seven receptions with one TD at Minnesota, Oct. 30…Led team with five receptions and 74 yards, including a TD, at Green Bay, Nov. 19…Tied for the team lead with six receptions for a team-high 87 yards and one TD against Chicago, Nov. 26…Led team with five receptions for 48 yards in AFC Championship at Indianapolis, 1/21/07. 2005 – Played in 15 games with nine starts…Led all New England tight ends with 29 receptions for 441 yards and four touchdowns…Snared his first career touchdown, on a 33-yard pass from Tom Brady against Atlanta, Oct. 9….Led the team with 66 receiving yards on four receptions against New Orleans, Nov. 20…Led the team with five receptions and 91 receiving yards, including a 63-yard touchdown in the Wild Card Playoff against Jacksonville, 1/7/06, marking the longest touchdown reception in Patriots playoff history…In a losing effort in the Divisional Playoff game at Denver, 1/14/06, he made a spectacular effort play, when he ran down Broncos CB Champ Bailey on a 100-yard interception return at the Patriots one-yard line, preventing him from scoring a TD. 2004 – Started only game in which he played…Made NFL debut against Indianapolis, Sept. 9, and recorded two receptions for 16 yards…Placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, Sept. 29.
COLLEGE – Registered 73 receptions for 945 receiving yards (12.9 avg.) and seven touchdowns during collegiate career…Began career at Duke (1999), catching eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown…As three-year letterman at the University of Georgia (2001-03), recorded 65 receptions for 852 yards (13.6 avg.) and six TDs…Served as offensive team captain as senior…Preseason All-America and All-Southeastern Conference selection as senior…Posted 23 receptions for 324 yards and two TDs as senior...Started 13 games as junior, registering 31 catches for 341 yards and three TDs…Graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance from the Terry School of Business at UGA.
PERSONAL – Attended Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) HS…Recorded 31 receptions for 515 yards and five touchdowns as a senior and led team to state championship as junior…Traveled to Israel with Patriots Chairman & CEO Robert Kraft and a group from the greater Boston area in 2008…In 2007, traveled with a small group of NFL players on a USO tour visiting U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan…Traveled to China as Patriots ambassador…Lists photography as a hobby…Member of both the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in high school…With his wife, Kirsten, created the One More Foundation which is dedicated to spreading the love and hope of Jesus Christ to one more soul…Annually the Watson family and his foundation have hosted the "The Big BENefit" which provided gift cards to 25 families selected by the New Orleans Family Justice Center for a shopping spree…Hosts an annual football clinic in his hometown of Rock Hill that also helps benefit providing meals to impoverished families living in Africa…The 2012 Athletes in Action Call to Courage Award recipient and 2017 Bart Starr Award winner…Was a guest speaker at the Pentagon for 2015 National Prayer Week…A two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year Finalist, being selected as the club nominee from the Saints (2015) and the Ravens (2017)…Named one of CNN's "Extraordinary People of 2014"…In 2016, Watson published his second book, "The New Dad's Playbook: Gearing Up for the Biggest Game of Your Life," featuring advice and info on being a father…Authored "Under Our Skin: Getting Real about Race – Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations that Divide Us," a challenging look at race, bias and justice, following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO… Born Benjamin Seth Watson in Norfolk, Va…
