Christian Watson

Packers’ Christian Watson Expected To Miss Time In 2025

February 25th, 2025 at 11:47am CST by Adam La Rose

Christian Watson suffered an ACL tear in Week 18, and as a result he was unavailable for the Packers’ wild-card game. His injury could keep Green Bay shorthanded at the receiver position into the start of next season.

“Obviously Christian is going to miss some time, probably, at the beginning, more than likely,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Tuesday (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “That’s going to create opportunities for some guys on the roster that I’m excited for. We’ll see how that shakes out.”

The receiver position was a talking point entering 2024 for the Packers as the team lacked a true No. 1 option. Watson has shown the potential to occupy that role when healthy, although he has missed time in each of his three NFL campaigns to date. Being without the former second-rounder for a period could prompt Green Bay to pursue an addition in the near future.

The likes of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath and Dontayvion Wicks are all under contract as part of the Packers’ highly inexpensive receiver room. Green Bay will have the cap space to make a notable addition at the WR position (or others) during free agency, although Gutekunst may turn his attention to reserving funds for retaining in-house players over the coming years. Still, the veteran market could provide the opportunity for a short-term addition aimed at providing a temporary Watson replacement.

Davante Adams is expected to be released by the Jets, and a Packers reunion could be in play as a result. Adding the All-Pro would certainly mark a notable move as it pertains to the receiver depth chart and the pecking order in Green Bay’s passing attack. Failing that, a more modest addition could be on the Packers’ radar with Watson on track to miss time.

The North Dakota State product is a pending 2026 free agent, and his production will be key in determining his market value on a new Packers deal or one sending him to a new team. Watson’s 2025 debut will likely have to wait, however, something which will no doubt hurt his stock.

Packers’ Christian Watson Tears ACL

January 6th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

The non-contact injury Christian Watson sustained Sunday has produced a worst-case scenario for the Packers. Ahead of their playoff outing, the Pack will be without Watson. Green Bay may be without him for more games beyond this season.

Watson sustained a torn ACL and additional damage in Week 18, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. While players regularly make Week 1 returns after late-season injuries, it is also not too uncommon for reserve/PUP list stays to commence. The additional damage the third-year wide receiver sustained may key such a move.

This injury came after Watson was iffy to play against the Bears with a knee injury. After missing Week 17, Watson had missed two practices last week but logged a limited session Friday. The 6-foot-4 wideout suited up for a Packers team that ended up resting some starters, even as the NFC’s No. 6 seed was on the line. Jordan Love is not believed to have suffered a significant hand injury, but one of his top weapons will not be available for the Packers in these playoffs. And it will be worth monitoring later whether Watson will begin his contract year on time.

Injuries have dogged Watson throughout his career. This past offseason, the former second-round pick saw a hamstring specialist to determine the cause of his repeated issues. After missing eight games last season, Watson returned to play 15 in Year 3. While he averaged 21.4 yards per reception, the North Dakota State alum only caught 29 passes. The 620 receiving yards were still a career-high total, as the Packers have regularly used a bevy of rookie-contract wideouts over the past two seasons. Watson still operated as Green Bay’s top deep threat, which will make an upset in Philadelphia more difficult.

The Packers still have a host of options available heading into that game, as the team has continued to use the draft — after the first round, of course — to stockpile receiver options. Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Tucker Kraft are healthy for the Packers, who are the NFC’s No. 7 seed. Watson, however, has proven to be a promising downfield playmaker who opens up the offense.

Still, three other Packers (Reed, Kraft, Doubs) topped 600 yards in one of the NFL’s most balanced attacks. Green Bay will attempt to get by while Watson tackles his most serious injury yet. His long-term future is suddenly much cloudier.

Christian Watson Suffers High Ankle Sprain

October 1st, 2024 at 2:03pm CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 1: Further testing has revealed Watson’s sprain to be a mild one, Schultz reports. As a result, a stint on injured reserve is unlikely, although some missed time could of course still be in store.

SEPTEMBER 29: The Packers could be without wide receiver Christian Watson for a couple of weeks. The third-year wideout was carted off the field in today’s loss to the Vikings, and according to veteran NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, the early belief is that he suffered a high ankle sprain.

Tests have not revealed a fracture, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds, but Watson will be an IR candidate. This would sideline the former second-round pick until Week 9. Watson has run into steady injury trouble during his career, having already missed 11 games — including eight last season. That total will soon expand.

Watson’s biggest season came as a second-round rookie with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. A season after the Packers traded away Davante Adams, Rodgers had one of his worst campaigns with the team while throwing to Watson, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, and Randall Cobb. Watson led the team with seven receiving touchdowns while finishing second on the team with 611 receiving yards that year.

Once Jordan Love took over as quarterback, Watson’s role in the offense began to wane. In his second year, he caught only 28 of his 53 targets, finishing fourth on the team with 422 receiving yards while adding five touchdowns. So far this year, Watson has continued in that WR3/4 role, reeling in five passes for 80 yards and a score.

Despite some change in running back personnel, the Packers return much of the same offense from last year’s playoff crew. If Watson misses time, Love will still have Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks as his top-three wideouts. In Watson’s absence, Green Bay would need Bo Melton to step into the WR4 role.

High ankle sprains have been common so far this season with varying results. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1, and though he’s missed a couple plays, he hasn’t missed any starts following the injury. The Falcons placed center Drew Dalman on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, forcing him out for at least four contests. Lastly, Cowboys’ star defender Micah Parsons is expected to be out two to four weeks with the same ailment.

It seems to be dependent on the severity and the individual, but it seems likely Watson could miss an extended stretch. The 25-year-old will undergo some tests Monday to gain more clarity on his injury.

Packers WR Christian Watson Addresses Hamstring Rehab

May 24th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

During his first two seasons in the NFL, Christian Watson has missed considerable time. A goal for he and the Packers this offseason was to find a long-term solution to his hamstring issues, and progress on that front has been made.

The No. 34 pick in the 2022 draft, Watson joined Green Bay with considerable expectations. His rookie season was limited to 11 contests, though, and questions lingered last offseason relating to his ability to stay on the field for a full campaign. In 2023, the 25-year-old wideout missed the first three weeks as well as the final five games of the campaign dealing with recurrences of his hamstring ailments.

Green Bay sent Watson to see a specialist after the end of the season, and he tested at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health. When speaking about his recovery process during that time, the North Dakota State alum noted that a lack of symmetry in his legs (with respect to strength in his hamstrings) was the cause of his problem. Rectifying that will go a long way in preventing further missed time.

“For me, it really was the asymmetry between the legs,” Watson said at OTAs (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). “It comes from a lot of things. Obviously, the issues I’ve had in the past with hamstrings, not fully recovering from those strength-wise. I’ve been attacking the strength side of it, trying to get that symmetry back and it’s been huge for me. I feel really, really good.”

Watson added that the difference in muscle mass between his right leg and his left was roughly 20% not long after he tested at Wisconsin. That figure has dropped considerably since, although he has yet to reach his goal of 6% at this point. Of course, that progress will be worth monitoring throughout OTAs and through training camp, and his ultimate success will come down to his gameday availability during the season.

For now, Watson and the Packers are confident this offseason will mark a turning point from a health standpoint. The team’s young receiving corps also includes the likes of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, and that unit fared well last season as Jordan Love took on starting quarterback duties. Watson (who has averaged 15 yards per catch and totaled 12 touchdowns in his career) will play a notable role in 2024 and beyond if he can remain healthy. Signs currently point to that being possible, if he can follow through on his recovery plan.

Packers Notes: Coaching, Clements, Evero, Watson

February 6th, 2024 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Tom Clements is expected to be back in Green Bay next season. The long-time coach will continue being the quarterbacks coach on Matt LaFleur’s staff in 2024, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

There was some speculation that the organization’s recent hiring of Sean Mannion could mean that the 70-year-old Clements would retire, but that isn’t the case. Per Silverstein, the Packers believe Clements will be a great mentor to Mannion, perhaps a hint that the recently-retired QB could eventually take over the role.

Over the past two years, Clements has overseen a major turnover at the position. After coaching Aaron Rodgers during his first season at the helm, Clements guided Jordan Love through the QB’s first season as a starter.

Clements has been coaching since the 1990s, serving as the QBs coach with the Saints, Chiefs, Steelers, Cardinals, and Packers. He had a two-year stint as the Bills offensive coordinator before catching on with the Packers in 2006. He spent more than a decade in Green Bay, eventually serving as offensive coordinator and later assistant head coach. He called it a career following a two-year stint in Arizona, but he was coaxed out of retirement in 2022 and returned to the Packers.

More news out of Green Bay…

With the Packers having settled on Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their new defensive coordinator, the rest of the defensive coaching staff is starting to take shape. According to Silverstein, Hafley will bring along BC defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase. Incumbent defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery isn’t expected to be back next season, although Silverstein adds that linebackers coach Jason Rebrovich is expected to pivot to defensive line coach in 2024, making Oghobaase’s role unknown. In addition to Montgomery, passing game coordinator Greg Williams and inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti won’t return to the Packers, per Silverstein.
The Packers are expected to hire former Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, per Silverstein. Campanile is expected to be the team’s new run game coordinator, and the hiring was inspired by LaFleur‘s desire to transition to a 4-3 defensive scheme. Campanile has been a popular name this offseason; he interviewed for the Giants defensive coordinator job and was pursued by the Eagles to be their linebackers coach.
The Packers are also adding former Chargers defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley as their defensive pass-game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Ansley had a long stint in the NCAA to begin his coaching career, culminating in him serving as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He joined the Chargers the following season, and after serving as their defensive backs coach for two years, he earned a promotion to DC in 2023.
Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is sticking in Carolina, but if he shook loose, the Packers would have had interest, according to Fowler. The feeling would have been mutual, as Evero would have had interest in the Green Bay DC job. We heard last week that the Packers also made an unsuccessful run at Zach Orr as their defensive coordinator.
A hamstring injury has forced Packers wide receiver Christian Watson to miss a handful of games through his first two seasons in the NFL, but the organization is working to remedy the lingering issue. LaFleur told reporters (including Silverstein) that the Packers have a “plan” to figure out why Watson’s hamstring continues to be an issue. The team intends to send the wideout to a specialist who should provide further guidance.

Packers Set To Bring In Reinforcements

October 7th, 2023 at 3:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Quarterback Jordan Love has fared well in his first year as a starter, considering the lack of consistency in the makeup of his offensive line. He should be able to get a bit more centered now as, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers’ offensive line is expected to be intact once again.

At least, mostly intact; as intact as it’s going to be for the rest of this season. With veteran left tackle David Bakhtiari expected to miss the remainder of the year, there will still be one big absence throughout the rest of the season. Besides that, Love should be getting all of his starting protection back in the lineup.

Right tackle Zach Tom and center Josh Myers have held down the fort, starting every game so far this season with left tackle Rasheed Walker joining them after the injury to Bakhtiari. They will be rejoined by left guard Elgton Jenkins and right guard Jon Runyan this week.

Jenkins has missed the Packers’ last two games after suffering a sprained MCL. The knee injury had the potential to be much more serious, so a two-game absence is an absolute win for Green Bay. Runyan hasn’t missed any games but has been dealing with an ankle injury suffered during Thursday Night Football last week. He was forced to miss a few practices and was in danger of missing this week’s game but is reportedly primed to start.

Additionally, second-year wide receiver Christian Watson, who played through a questionable status from his hamstring injury last week, has finally made his way off the injury report. Watson should be able to play with no restrictions from now on, providing Love with another weapon to target moving forward.

Packers Place LT David Bakhtiari On IR

September 28th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Still dealing with knee trouble, David Bakhtiari will return to injured reserve. The Packers will be without their All-Pro blind-sider for at least four games, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report. The Packers have since announced the IR placement.

Bakhtiari has not played since Week 1. Because this transaction is taking place before Green Bay’s Week 4 game, Bakhtiari would be eligible to return in Week 8. But it is far from a lock he will be able to do so, with Rapoport indicating the 11th-year veteran may need more time to come back this year — if, in fact, a return is in the cards.

Bakhtiari, who will turn 32 on Saturday, has undergone three knee surgeries since his New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear. That injury effectively threw the highly paid blocker’s career off course. He only returned for a handful of snaps during the 2021 season and missed six games last year, though an appendectomy contributed to his 2022 missed-games ledger. Prior to the seminal 2020 setback — one that played a significant role in the Packers’ Super Bowl LV push falling just short — Bakhtiari had never missed more than four games in a season.

Matt LaFleur said Bakhtiari experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee before Week 2. The fifth-year Green Bay HC had previously declined to comment on Bakhtiari playing on FieldTurf; the veteran has been a vocal opponent of the surface. But Bakhtiari also missed the Packers’ home opener at Lambeau Field, putting to rest the speculation his Week 2 absence was field surface-related.

It is safe to say Bakhtiari’s career is now at a crossroads. The Packers are certainly a better team when the four-time Pro Bowler is available, but this is the third season in which knee trouble will lead to a lengthy absence. The Packers are also down Elgton Jenkins to a knee injury. Jenkins joined Bakhtiari in missing much of the 2021 season, having suffered an ACL tear himself. But Jenkins recovered from his severe injury on time and has since signed a lucrative Packers extension. Jenkins has been out since suffering an MCL sprain in Week 1. The fifth-year guard does not expect this injury to force an IR stint, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes.

Rasheed Walker has primarily replaced Bakhtiari at left tackle. While the Packers were able to get by without both Bakhtiari and Jenkins en route to home-field advantage in 2021, Aaron Rodgers being in MVP form propped up that effort. Jordan Love being without his best two O-linemen will obviously hinder the cause early in his starter run, though the Rodgers successor managed to eke out a shorthanded win over the Saints last week.

The Packers are also expected to have two of their skill-position pillars back against the Lions tonight. Aaron Jones is set to return from his hamstring injury, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds Christian Watson is on track to make his season debut after missing three weeks due to a hamstring ailment.

Colts Likely To Resume Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks; Packers No Longer Involved

September 10th, 2023 at 11:13pm CST by Rory Parks

The Colts had reportedly set August 29 — the day when teams were required to finalize their 53-man rosters — as the deadline to trade running back Jonathan Taylor. It was clear, however, that roster cutdown day was merely a “loose” deadline that was set in the hopes of expeditiously resolving a difficult situation for a maximum return.

Unsurprisingly, trade talks involving Taylor are likely to resume, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Taylor is presently on the PUP list and is therefore required to miss the first four games of the season, but sources tell Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Taylor is healthy and could pass a physical today if he were required to do so. As such, the contract-year back plans to be ready to play as soon as Week 5, when he is first eligible to take the field.

According to Rapoport, there remains a possibility that Taylor will again suit up for the Colts, but the odds of that happening are slim. After all, the rift between player and team formed when Indianapolis refused Taylor’s request for an extension this offseason, and there is nothing to indicate that the club’s stance in that regard will change.

Instead, it seems more plausible that Taylor will be traded. In order for that to happen, the Colts may need to reduce their asking price, which was reportedly either a first-round pick or a package similar to what the 49ers paid for Christian McCaffrey last year. During their trade talks with the Dolphins, Indy is believed to have asked about Miami wideout Jaylen Waddle, and Schefter notes that the team targeted promising second-year receiver Christian Watson in its conversations with the Packers (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder).

Rapoport writes that Green Bay offered two mid-round picks in exchange for Taylor — for whom it was willing to authorize a top-of-the-market contract — though he says the club is now out of the running. The Dolphins, who were also prepared to pay top dollar for Taylor, remain a viable landing spot. As the first few weeks of the season unfold, of course, it is also quite possible that other clubs will enter the mix.

The Bears and Broncos were rumored as potential suitors at the end of last month. This year’s trade deadline is October 31.

WR Notes: Watson, Metchie, Chark, McLaurin, Smith-Njigba

September 8th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Jordan Love‘s tenure as the Packers‘ full-time starting quarterback will have a bit of a hurdle to navigate this week. In his first start since November 2021, Love will be without the team’s top returning receiver Christian Watson, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Watson is dealing with a hamstring injury that could potentially lead to an extended absence. Head coach Matt LaFleur claimed that he doesn’t think Watson will reach a three- or four-week absence but classified the second-year wideout as week-to-week.

The top target in Watson’s absence, fellow sophomore receiver Romeo Doubs, is also dealing with a hamstring injury but is only listed as questionable heading into the weekend. Rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks is the third such receiver on the team dealing with a hamstring injury, but he managed to avoid the injury report altogether. Star tackle David Bakhtiari is also available after staying off the injury report.

Here are a few more reports on wide receiver injuries from around the league heading into Week 1:

The world will have to continue to wait for the NFL debut of Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Despite making a recovery from both a torn ACL and leukemia, Metchie is still dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Houston is being patient, taking a “big-picture approach” to Metchie’s return. The team will be without safety Jimmie Ward and linebacker Blake Cashman for Week 1, as well.
The Panthers are slowly working their way back to full health in their receiving corps, according to Panthers writer Augusta Stone. Back ups Terrace Marshall and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are now fully participating in practice after recent injury trouble. Starters Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark Jr. both returned to practice today in a limited capacity. While Thielen was listed as questionable and could still play, Chark has been ruled out for the team’s season opener.
The Commanders drew lots of criticism when leading receiver Terry McLaurin sustained an injury as the team played its starters fairly deep into a preseason game in an effort to end the Ravens’ preseason win streak. They’ll dodge a bullet, though, as McLaurin will be active this week after making good progress from his turf toe injury, according to Commanders senior writer Zach Selby. He’s had a couple of full participation practices and should be good to go for Week 1. Defensive end Chase Young has been listed as questionable, though. Head coach Ron Rivera claimed that “if (Young’s) cleared, he’ll go.”
Despite undergoing wrist surgery just two and a half weeks ago, Seahawks rookie first round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to play in the team’s season opener against the Rams this Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Head coach Pete Carroll, who was optimistic on the recovery timeline, confirmed as much this week.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Lions, Hockenson

September 7th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashan Gary is all set to debut in Week 1, completing his recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2022 season in November. But the Packers will begin their top pass rusher on a pitch count to start the season, Matt LaFleur confirmed (via Packers Wire’s Zach Kruse). This could open the door for early-season Lukas Van Ness development. The Packers still roster Preston Smith, who is going into his fifth season with the team, and Van Ness contributed as an inside and outside rusher at Iowa. The team has versatile linebacker Justin Hollins and 2022 fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare, who became a primary starter after Gary went down last season, as options while Gary ramps up to a full workload.

Additionally on the Green Bay injury front, David Bakhtiari, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are viewed as game-time decisions for Sunday’s opener against the Bears. Bakhtiari, who has seen knee trouble sidetrack his career to a degree over the past two-plus years, is listed on the injury report with more knee trouble. He expects to play, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. Both starting receivers are battling hamstring maladies and have not practiced this week. Here is the latest from the NFC North:

As for tonight’s game, the Lions ruled out cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Although Detroit activated Moseley off its active/PUP list before roster-cutdown day, the free agency addition underwent a second knee procedure this summer and was viewed as a long shot to start the year on time. Moseley is finishing up a recovery from an October 2022 ACL tear.
Isaiah Buggs started 13 games at nose tackle for last season’s Lions edition, but the veteran was informed in advance he would be a healthy scratch tonight, the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers notes. The Lions gave Buggs a two-year, $4.5MM deal in March but gave more snaps to rookie Brodric Martin and Benito Jones during camp. Buggs believes his lack of offseason attendance affected the team’s decision, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The former Steelers contributor said his wife giving birth led to him staying away during OTAs. Jones and Alim McNeill are expected to start in Kansas City, Birkett adds.
Going into free agency, the Bears did extensive work on Dre’Mont Jones, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Although the Bears carried plenty of cap space into free agency, they chose to stand down on Jones and spend for the likes of Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, T.J. Edwards and DeMarcus Walker. The team later addressed its D-tackle needs in the draft, choosing three — Zacch Pickens (Round 2), Gervon Dexter (Round 3) and Travis Bell (Round 7) — on Day 2. This duo should be expected to play bigger roles down the line, but in Week 1, Justin Jones and Andrew Billings are slated to start. A four-year Broncos regular, Jones ended up with the Seahawks on a three-year, $51MM deal.
T.J. Hockenson‘s four-year, $66MM Vikings extension comes with $29.29MM fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. That number checks in fourth among tight ends — behind Kyle Pitts‘ rookie deal and the extensions for Mark Andrews and George Kittle. Hockenson’s 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed. His $10.9MM 2025 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes that number shifts to a full guarantee a year early (March 2024). The Vikings did not use the year-out guarantee structure for Hockenson’s 2026 setup, giving them more flexibility. Hockenson has $2.3MM of his 2026 base ($15.4MM) guaranteed for injury; it does not shift to a full guarantee until March 2026, giving the Vikings additional flexibility. Hockenson’s cap number will climb from $5MM this year to $14.1MM in 2024, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets.

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