Many players would need a game or two to get reacclimated to playing in an actual NFL game. Christian Watson of the Green Bay Packers is apparently not like many players, though, because he made a huge impact for the Pack in their 35-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football.

Some never come back from an ACL injury the same player. Watson, despite the fact that he hadn't seen the field since January, came back looking like the very deep threat he's been since the Packers selected him with the 34th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State.

Jordan Love targeted Watson four times, and the 6-foot-4, 208 pound wide receiver with elite speed came away with four big-time catches for 85 yards. He averaged 21.3 yards per catch and completely opened up Green Bay's offense.

"It's the same thing that we've been seeing in practice," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Watson's performance after a film review on Monday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "He brings an element to our offense and to our team, just the size, the speed, and I've talked about it many times, just his versatility."

Watson's versatility includes his ability to be big-time as a blocker. That had always been an underrated aspect of his game, but it showed up in a big way against the Steelers as he cleared the path for tight end Tucker Kraft's first touchdown of the game.

"You saw his presence felt not only in the passing game with those explosion plays, but also as a blocker downfield," LaFleur said. "I mean, he had a heck of a block on Tucker's, his first touchdown. There was some good stuff in the run game, so he's just a really valuable piece for us."

Valuable is an understatement. If Watson can stay health, and to be fair, that's a big if, he's one of the premier deep threats in the NFL. Last season, he caught 29 passes for 620 yards and two touchdowns, but averaged 21.4 yards per catch. That was the second-best yards per catch average in the NFL.

Just Watson's presence alone is something that opposing defenses will have to worry about. It's not a coincidence that Kraft had a career day with Watson back out on the field. Ultimately, Watson's speed and presence should make things easier for Kraft, Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, Josh Jacobs and especially, his quarterback.

Ultimately, there's also the impact his hard work in rehabbing can have on his teammates. This is a kid who wants it, and that was something that was clearly obvious on Sunday night.

"That's a guy right there who has been battling his tail off for the last year," Kraft said. "Coming in, not missing a day. You can't. You have a reconstructive surgery like that, you can't miss a day. That's just a credit to him and all the work he's put in. He's a great guy, he's a good father, amazing teammate. I'm very glad to have him back on our team."