Watson (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Paul Bretl of ESPN La Crosse reports.
Watson was a limited practice participant Wednesday through Friday, after suffering the injury Week 4 and missing Week 5. Multiple reports suggested a high-ankle sprain as the diagnosis, but Watson's father (former NFL safety Tim Watson) revealed Wednesday that the wide receiver is recovering from a medial ankle sprain. The updated diagnosis doesn't mean Watson will play this Sunday, but the Packers are at least keeping the door open ahead of a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. His availability impacts workload expectations for perimeter wideouts Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Another limited practice
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
After departing the Packers' Week 4 loss to the Vikings with a left high-ankle sprain, Watson seemed in line for a multi-game absence, as is the case for most such injuries. However, Watson now has been able to log back-to-back capped sessions this week, potentially opening the door for a return to action as soon as Sunday against the Cardinals. The wideout told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com on Wednesday that his activity was contained to individual and group periods, so reps in team periods still await the third-year pro. In the end, Friday's practice report may reveal if Watson has any chance to keep his absence to just one contest.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Limited in return to practice
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
Just 10 days removed from suffering a left high-ankle sprain Week 4 against the Vikings that sidelined him this past Sunday at the Rams, Watson was able to return to the practice field. It's no surprise that he managed only limited reps considering the nature of the injury, but he may not miss as much time as initially expected. Ultimately, how Watson fares in practice Thursday and Friday likely will determine whether or not he's ruled out ahead of Sunday's contest versus the Cardinals.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Spotted at practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) was seen participating in the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Watson is back at practice for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain Week 4 against the Vikings. Though the injury is often one that sidelines players for multiple games, Watson's ability to practice in some capacity to begin Week 6 prep could give him a chance to return to action Sunday against the Cardinals after he sat out the Week 5 win over the Rams. Romeo Doubs also returned to practice Wednesday after his one-game suspension.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Officially inactive Sunday
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) is inactive for Sunday's game at the Rams, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.
Watson will miss the first of what is expected be multiple games after he came out of the Week 4 loss to the Vikings with a high left-ankle sprain. Green Bay also will be without Romeo Doubs (suspension) in Week 5, so Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath are the team's available wide receivers Sunday. The Packers seemingly are confident Watson won't require an IR stint, so they may be targeting Week 7 against the Texans or Week 8 at Jacksonville as his possible spots to return to action.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Officially doubtful
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game at the Rams, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
Watson is recovering from a high-ankle sprain, and while there's been some optimism that it isn't an especially severe case of the injury, his absence from practice all week suggests he's highly unlikely to play this Sunday. With Romeo Doubs (personal) also listed as doubtful, Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton figure to get most of the perimeter WR snaps alongside standout slot man Jayden Reed. There's also a decent chance Reed gets more playing time than usual in two-wide formations.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Sits out Thursday's practice
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
Though head coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that Watson will avoid a stint on injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain in this past Sunday's loss to Minnesota, the injury will almost certainly force the wideout to miss at least a game or two. Unsurprisingly, Watson has missed the Packers' first two Week 5 practices, and if he remains sidelined again Friday, he'll likely be ruled out in advance of Sunday's trip to Los Angeles against the Rams.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Will avoid injured reserve
Rotowire
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Watson won't be placed on injured reserve due to the high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Vikings, Zach Kruse of USA Today reports.
A high-ankle sprain typically results in a multi-game absence, but the Packers apparently believe that he won't be sidelined for at least four contests, which is what an IR stint would require. Predictably, he didn't take part in Wednesday's practice, per Bill Huber of SI.com, and Watson likely will be ruled out by week's end ahead of Sunday's road game against the Rams. In Watson's absence, Dontayvion Wicks is slated to be more involved in three-receiver sets alongside Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, while Bo Melton and Malik Heath are candidates to take on increased roles as well.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Ankle injury thought to be sprain
Rotowire
Coach Matt LaFleur said after Sunday's 31-29 loss to the Vikings that Watson relayed to him that he believes he suffered a sprained ankle during the game, Zach Jacobson of 247Sports.com reports.
The severity of the potential sprain isn't known, but Watson had his legs bent back awkwardly on his last play before he eventually was ruled out of Sunday's contest. He'll likely undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury, but if he ends up missing time, the Packers' receiving corps will be composed of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath for as long as he may be sidelined.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Injures ankle Sunday
Rotowire
Watson (ankle) was forced out of Sunday's game against the Vikings with an ankle injury.
Prior to his exit on a cart, Watson did not record a catch. In his absence, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are available to handle the Packers' WR duties.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: No targets in Week 2
Rotowire
Watson wasn't targeted during Sunday's 16-10 win versus the Colts.
The Packers offense was without Jordan Love (knee) for the first of potentially multiple games, so there were bound to be significant changes to the breakdown of touches with Malik Willis leading the way. However, Watson wasn't on the receiving end of any of Willis' 14 passes, and none of the team's 53 carries were allotted to him, while fellow WRs Jayden Reed and even Bo Melton were a part of the rushing attack with two apiece. As for the passing game, WRs Dontayvion Wicks (four), Romeo Doubs (three) and Reed (two) and TE Tucker Kraft (two) were the only pass catchers to record multiple targets. Such game plans may be the norm for Green Bay for as long as Love is sidelined, meaning Watson will be difficult to trust next Sunday at Tennessee.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Quiet in season opener
Rotowire
Watson recorded three catches on five targets for 13 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 34-29 loss to the Eagles.
Watson finished with the fewest targets, catches and yards among Green Bay's starting wideout trio that also includes Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, though he salvaged his performance from a fantasy perspective with a two-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. The North Dakota State product has shown a nose for the end zone in his NFL career thus far, as Friday's score was his 15th (13 receiving and two rushing) through 24 regular-season games. Despite his low yardage total Friday, Watson finished with just one fewer target than Reed and two fewer that Doubs, and a fairly equitable target share among the trio should emerge as the season progresses. However, the potency of the Packers' passing game could suffer if quarterback Jordan Love, who had to leave the contest in the final seconds of the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury, is forced to miss time.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Avoids trouble with knee
Rotowire
Watson is on track to practice Thursday after getting hit on the knee at the end of Wednesday's practice, Paul Bretl of ESPN La Crosse 105.5 FM reports.
Watson apparently meant it when he downplayed his knee bruise after Wednesday's practice. It looks like it won't cost him any reps, and the more important thing is that he's avoided hamstring injuries (or any other muscular issues) throughout the offseason and now into training camp. There's still some question about target volume in an offense with so many weapons, but Watson's combination of height and speed should make him an important part of the offense as long as he avoids the hamstring problems that plagued him in his first two professional seasons. The Packers are optimistic that Watson figured out the root cause of those problems and then addressed the muscular imbalance/asymmetry with his legs.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Downplays practice injury
Rotowire
Watson, who relayed that he took a hit to the knee on the last play of practice Wednesday, downplayed the issue afterward, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports. "It's a little sore, but it's just a bruise, so nothing that's going to stop me from doing anything," Watson said. "Right now, it's died down a lot, so if we had a practice right now, then I think I would be good to go."
While the wideout evidently avoided a concerning injury, he's not a sure bet to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Browns. Head coach Matt LaFleur has previously said that the Packers will be cautious with banged-up players in the preseason opener, even those who are dealing with minor injuries.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Feels more confident in hamstring
Rotowire
After undergoing eight hours of testing at the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine earlier in the offseason, Watson believes he has solved his right hamstring issues that have caused him to miss several games through his first two seasons, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
"For me, it really was the asymmetry between the legs," Watson explained. "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. I gotta continue grinding at it." Watson states he had a 20 percent difference in muscle mass between his right and left legs, but it's now between 8-10 percent. His goal is six percent. Watson was a full participant in OTAs, and getting him through a healthy offseason would be a big first step. He's the most explosive weapon in a deep Green Bay wideout room -- Watson has averaged 15 yards per catch over his first two seasons.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Team optimistic after testing
Rotowire
The Packers feel like they have a better understanding of Watson's injury issues after he underwent a body scan at University of Wisconsin-Madison earlier this offseason, Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com reports.
Hamstring problems resulted in multi-game absences three times during Watson's first two NFL seasons, and he was removed early from other contests with a concussion (Week 8 of 2022), chest injury (Week 9 of 2022), hip injury (Week 16 of 2022) and back/chest injury (Week 9 of 2023). It's a worrying list of medical problems for someone with only 953 career snaps -- essentially one season's worth -- but Watson has mostly been effective when available, catching 69 of 119 targets for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns and taking 11 carries for 91 yards and two additional scores. The 2022 second-round pick is part of one of the deepest group of pass catchers in the league, with Green Bay having six players who recorded over 350 receiving yards last season, all of them rookies or second-year pros. Watson's 4.36 speed is unique among that group, but durability and workload concerns remain a significant part of the fantasy equation even if the Packers are feeling more optimistic about his chances of staying relatively healthy in 2024.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: To undergo offseason testing
Rotowire
Watson said Monday that he plans to undergo offseason medical testing to determine why he's battled recurring hamstring injuries in his NFL career, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
Watson missed the last five games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, and though he managed to return for Green Bay's two playoff games, he was ineffective in those contests. His efforts culminated in securing one catch for 11 yards on two targets during Saturday's loss to the 49ers in the divisional round. It's worth noting that Watson also missed the first three games of the 2023 campaign due to a hamstring issue and that he was nicked up for a substantial portion of the year even while suiting up. resulting in a disappointing 28-422-5 line on 53 targets across nine appearances before the postseason. If Watson is able to gain some information this offseason that helps him avoid future soft-tissue injuries, it would certainly help boost his prospects heading into Year 3.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Set to play Saturday
Rotowire
Watson (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Saturday's divisional-round contest at San Francisco, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Watson put an end to a five-game absence this past Sunday at Dallas due to a strained right hamstring, but the Packers contained him to 23 of 56 offensive snaps. The result was one catch for nine yards, while fellow wide receiver Romeo Doubs (6-151-1 on six targets) dominated the attention of quarterback Jordan Love. Watson was listed as limited on Tuesday's practice estimate before having his reps capped at Wednesday's walkthrough, but the activity was enough for Green Bay to clear him to suit up again this weekend.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Limited session Wednesday
Rotowire
Watson (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice.
Watson returned for Green Bay's wild-card win over Dallas after missing the final five games of the regular season, though he played only 41 percent of his team's snaps on offense and was targeted just once. While the limited workload likely was related to his prolonged absence, the Packers' impressive depth at wide receiver may also have been a factor. As such, Watson is no lock to return to his pre-injury role even if he continues to practice and avoid setbacks ahead of Saturday's divisional-round game in San Francisco.
... See More... See Less
Packers' Christian Watson: Limited to begin week
Rotowire
The Packers listed Watson (hamstring) as a limited participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
A hamstring injury caused Watson to miss five straight games prior to his return in Green Bay's wild-card victory over the Cowboys. He finished the contest with one reception for nine yards on his only target. Given his lengthy absence, it is unsurprising to see the Packers exercising caution with Watson early in the week. The second-year pass catcher might need to upgrade to full participation before the practice week is out before he'll be a viable fantasy option in Saturday's clash with the 49ers.
