Returning from injury, Christian Watson can ignite the Green Bay Packers' offense and defy his doubters.
Christian Watson has been playing like a star wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers ever since returning from a torn ACL midway through this 2025 season.
He quickly re-developed a deep-threat connection with quarterback Jordan Love, but most impressively, he seemingly refined his route-tree. Rather than being just a "go" guy down the sideline, Watson clearly developed his intermediate game a bit. His hands also looked much better than they did in the past.
It sure seemed like Watson was finally living up to the potential the Packers saw in him when they selected him No. 34 overall out of North Dakota State in the 2022 NFL Draft.
That potential has always been there, of course, but Watson has struggled to stay healthy here in the early goings of his NFL career. He's dealt with hamstring, knee and ankle injuries that kept him out for various games over his first three seasons. As mentioned, he missed about half of his fourth season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered at the end of 2024.
Watson is absolutly injury prone. There's no sugarcoating it. Is he "soft" or "made of glass", though?
Those are labels that his doubters have put on him.
It seemed that Watson perhaps turned the corner in 2025, and Green Bay's offense was so much better as a result. And then, against the Denver Broncos in Week 15, this happened:
Immediately, as Watson went down it looked like a shoulder injury. Then, as it came out that he was dealing with a chest injury, the natural thing was to start thinking about a collarbone. It was so bad at first that Watson actually had to go the hospital in Denver straight from the stadium.
Pessimistic fans were rightly predicting that Watson would be lost for a significant amount of time again. Heck, even the most optimistic in the fanbase saw Watson's career flashing before their eyes.
And yet, he flew home with the team, and on Wednesday, he practiced with the team. Not only that, but he seems to be planning on playing against the Chicago Bears on Saturday night. That's his goal, at least.
"We're at the point of the season where you've got to fight through some stuff, so should be good," Watson said on Wednesday.
The Packers were already reeling from the loss of star pass-rusher Micah Parsons. Losing Watson, even for a game or two, would have been not equally devistating but still a huge blow for the Packers, considering they still have a chance to win the NFC North and make a run through the playoffs.
Get in the playoffs and anything can happen, especially as a division winner.
The Packers chances to beat the Bears on Saturday took a major hit with the loss of Parsons and throwing Watson on the injured list would have made things even worse. He clearly understands how important this stretch is for the team, though, and he's clearly doing everything he can to get out there and help this team get three more wins (at least).
That's the opposite of soft, and if Watson comes out in these next three games and keeps playing like a star...he'll absolutely prove his doubters wrong.