The Green Bay Packers got some good news on Monday as they announced that wide receiver Christian Watson had resumed practicing with the team. Because he started the season on the PUP list, the Packers now have three weeks to choose to activate Watson or to place him on season-ending IR. Watson hasn’t returned yet, but it appears he is getting closer. But what will the return of Christian Watson mean for the Packers offense?
What the Return of Christian Watson Will Mean for the Packers: How We Got Here
Watson suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery in the Packers season finale last season against the Bears. The injury traditionally takes 10 months recovery time until the player can return to the field and up to another year before they return to their pre-injury form.
When he’s been healthy, Watson gives the Packers their best downfield weapon. He possesses a rare combination of size and speed that forces defenses to take notice. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have limited Watson’s production through his first three NFL campaigns.
The 2024 season was typical for Watson. While he caught only 29 passes all season, he averaged an impressive 21.4-yards per catch. He missed two full games due to injury and was limited in several others.
Watson gained more than 100 receiving yards twice in 2024. The first was a 150-yard effort in the first meeting with the Bears in Week 11. He followed that up with a 114-yard game against the Lions in Detroit in Week 14.
Unlike most of the Packers receivers last season, the North Dakota State alum suffered only two dropped passes all season, giving him a drop percentage of just 3.8.
Back at Practice
Watson worked on his own with the rehab group throughout training camp. He did not participate in full practices or 11-on-11 drills. Watson also did not play in any of the Packers three preseason games. He seemed ahead of schedule and was eager to return as soon as possible.
When a player starts the season on the PUP list, he needs to miss a minimum of four games before he’s eligible to return to practice. That happened on Monday.
Watson addressed the media after practice. “My trust and confidence in the knee is honestly 100%,” Watson explained. “I’ve tried to kind of remove any doubt or negative thoughts about it. Just trust in the work that I’ve put in and understand the things that I did today is everything I’ve done thousands of times at this point. So that’s my main thing. I don’t want to do anything that I haven’t done in a controlled setting. Obviously, as I’m able to get more into those uncontrolled settings, that confidence will be big.”
Just because Watson is practicing again, doesn’t mean he’s going to play Sunday when the Packers face the Cincinnati Bengals. The team has three weeks to make the decision to active him. He may be ready to play Sunday, but we could also miss as many as three more games.
What the Return of Christian Watson Will Mean for the Packers: The Potential Impact
When Watson does return it will likely take him time to get back up playing a full-time role. He will likely be on a play count for the first few games after his return. However, just Watson’s presence can impact the Packers offense.
First, Watson gives the Packers an outstanding deep passing threat. We know Jordan Love likes to create splash plays and throw downfield. Watson gives Love an outstanding deep threat with speed and size. Because defenses must pay attention to Watson, that also can open things up for players like Tucker Kraft or Romeo Doubs running short or intermediate routes.
Last season, Watson was also the Packers number one receiver at beating man coverage. If the Packers face man coverage, having Watson back will benefit the team in that aspect of the game as well.
It should also reduce the pressure on rookie Matthew Golden. With Watson drawing more attention away from the first-round pick, Golden should see fewer double teams and have more opportunities to get open and make catches.
Watson also gives head coach Matt LaFleur another wide receiver capable of blocking on running plays and short passes. This is something the Packers coaching staff values.
In addition, players like Malik Heath and Dontayvion Wicks will likely see fewer reps and fewer targets once Watson returns to the lineup.
While the difference will likely be gradual at first, getting Watson back in the lineup should be a big help for the Green Bay offense. His impact should only increase as the season progresses.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
Click here for more great Packers coverage
Check out our YouTube channel here
