The Green Bay Packers want Christian Watson back. When I say “back,” I mean the record-breaking run he had in 2022. In addition to his 102.5 True Catch Rate (ranked seventh), Watson was a touchdown machine. From Weeks 10 to 13, he was a top-10 fantasy receiver, scoring all seven receiving touchdowns.
Having that weapon on the field on a regular basis would be a game changer for this offense. Watson’s short career has been plagued by hamstring issues, but there may be hope for the future.
The Green Bay Packers receive a major update on Christian Watson’s health.
According to Heavy On Packers:
Following Watson’s body scan at the University of Wisconsin-Madison earlier this offseason, the Packers believe they have a better grasp of his injury difficulties, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com.
During Watson’s first two NFL seasons, hamstring issues caused him to miss multiple games three times, and he was forced to leave games early due to a concussion (Week 8 of 2022), chest injury (Week 9 of 2022), hip injury (Week 16 of 2022), and back/chest injury (Week 9 of 2023).
It’s a concerning litany of medical issues for someone with only 953 career snaps — roughly one season’s worth — but Watson has been mainly efficient when available, catching 69 of 119 targets for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns and carrying 11 times for 91 yards and two more scores.
The 2022 second-round pick is part of one of the league’s deepest groups of pass catchers, with Green Bay boasting six players with over 350 receiving yards last season, all of whom are rookies or second-year pros.
Watson’s 4.36 speed stands out among that group, but durability and workload concerns remain a key part of the fantasy equation, even if the Packers are more bullish about his prospects of staying relatively healthy in 2024.
What Getting Watson Back Means For This Team
Watson had a better debut season than his second season. Watson had 28 receptions for 422 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 15.1 yards per catch. Jordan Love targeted him 53 times. Watson and Love didn’t hit it off until later in the season.
The Packers should have great plans for Christian Watson, who is only 24. Their unwillingness to deal him last season stemmed from his potential in this league. It was widely known that the Indianapolis Colts wanted Watson in exchange for star running back Jonathan Taylor.
Hopefully, Watson can turn things around next season if he stays healthy. He still has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
