Green Bay Packers: Key Wide Receiver Avoids Serious Injury During Practice on Scary Play

The Green Bay Packers are one of the most exciting teams in the NFL heading into the 2024 season. Of course, this is because Jordan Love established himself as the organization’s next franchise quarterback. Last season, Love was armed with a pass catching group made up entirely of first and second-year players yet rebounded from a slow start to lead the Packers to a 9-8 record and an upset over the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.

Last offseason, the biggest question facing the Packers was whether or not Love would be good enough after Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets. Now the team faces new questions, albeit smaller ones that are not as franchise-altering as the level of quarterback play.

Who Will Emerge as the Number One Wide Receiver on the Green Bay Packers?

Ever since the Packers traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, they have not had what one could consider a number one wide receiver.

Last season, rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed led the team in receptions and receiving yards while tying for the team lead in touchdowns. That being said, the Packers had an extremely balanced receiving core:

What is so exciting about Green Bay’s offense is that each of these pass catchers is returning in 2024. Each player now has another year of NFL experience and is expected to be even better than last season (without the slow start).

Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Christian Watson Is Healthy for 2024

Notably, 2022 second round pick Christian Watson is primed for what hopefully will be a breakout season. Last season, he missed eight games due to recurring hamstring injuries. Still, he was able to put up the second-most touchdown receptions on the team (five) behind Reed and Romeo Doubs, who each had eight.

Fans focus so much on his injury-riddled season last year that they forget what a dynamic weapon he is. As a rookie in 2022, he had 41 receptions for 611 yards and seven touchdowns. While that production may not stand out to some, it is worth noting that no rookie wide receiver in the Aaron Rodgers era had better numbers. Not Davante Adams. Not Randall Cobb. Not Jordy Nelson.

Don’t forget, Watson was also the first rookie wide receiver since Randy Moss to score eight touchdowns in a four-week span.

Unfortunately, his 2023 season was hampered by the aforementioned hamstring injuries. This offseason, Watson visited a specialist who discovered that one of his legs was 20% weaker than the other.

Having addressed the issue, Watson is confident he can go into 2024 without any concerns.

Green Bay Packers Christian Watson Avoids Serious Injury During Practice on Wednesday

On the final play of practice on Wednesday, Love through a jump ball to Watson in the endzone. Rookie safety Evan Williams intercepted the pass on a physical play that left Watson down on the ground.

The other Packers players all took a knee on the field while he was attended to by trainers. He was, however, able to get up and walk off the field with a slight limp.

After practice, Watson revealed he had taken a hit to the knee, but that it just hurt in the moment and he will nothing more than a bruise to show for it:

Christian Watson says he took a hit to the knee on the last play of practice that led to him staying down for a while. Hurt in the moment, but now it’s just sore and a bruise.

“Nothing that’s gonna stop me from doing anything.” pic.twitter.com/hOc6AU7jhq

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 7, 2024

“Nothing that’s gonna stop me from doing anything,” Watson said of the injury. He should be good to practice for the rest of the week and to play in Green Bay’s first preseason game on Saturday.

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