GREEN BAY – It’s been a long, grueling wait for Christian Watson to get back on the field, but light is beginning to form through the tunnel for the Packers’ fourth-year receiver.
A torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Green Bay’s regular-season finale against Chicago in January set Watson on a nine-month road to recovery that the speedy wideout has been seemingly outpacing since the offseason program in the spring.
Now, less than a week stands between the 6-foot-4, 208-pound receiver and activation from the physically unable to perform list, a 21-day window that opened with his first practice on Oct. 6.
The Packers have maintained a steady wait-and-see approach as to when Watson will return to play, but he’s clearly champing at the bit for it to be Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“That’s my plan,” said Watson after practice Wednesday. “I say it every week; obviously just leaving it up to the trainers, but my goal and my plan is to play this week.”
Taking a dogged approach to his rehab, Watson was sprinting down the sidelines throughout OTAs and training camp while rehabbing with the training staff during practices.
Last Friday, Head Coach Matt LaFleur said Watson “has looked pretty damn good” while expressing his excitement for the added element the wideout’s return will bring to the offense.
Through his first three seasons, Watson has been one of the league’s most explosive perimeter targets. Among players with 75-plus receptions, he ranks No. 3 in the NFL since entering the league in 2022 with an average of 16.9 yards per catch.
Prior to his injury, Watson averaged a robust 21.4 yards per reception in 2024, which ranked second in the NFL among players with at least 25 catches last season. It also is the top single-season average by a Packers pass-catcher since Hall of Famer James Lofton’s 22.0 in 1984.
It’s not just Watson’s individual production, either. It’s what his presence does for quarterback Jordan Love and all the skill-position players around him.
“I feel like just me being out there is going to help open everybody up,” Watson said. “I think they’ll have to obviously respect my ability to beat them deep, for sure. It’s just another person that they have to be wary of, regardless. I’ve made plays in my career and, obviously, defenses have to respect that.”
