If Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson finished the 2024 season with 1,200 yards and double digits touchdowns, it would come as little surprise to those familiar with the tools and upside he possesses. But in order to achieve those numbers, Watson would have to remain healthy, a feat that has eluded the talented pass catcher now entering his third season.
“That’s been my goal all along, but it hasn’t worked out for me in the past,” Watson said following Monday’s practice.
Standing at 6-4 and weighing 208 pounds, Watson grabbed the attention of Green Bay’s scouting department when he ran a 4.36 in the forty and logged a 38.5-inch vertical at the 2022 NFL combine. Ultimately, it was these freakish traits and the playmaking he showed at North Dakota State that convinced the Packers to trade up to select him 34th overall.
Yet, Watson’s biggest hurdle in his first two seasons hasn’t been adjusting to NFL talent or learning the preferences of two different quarterbacks. Instead, it’s been overcoming soft tissue injuries that have cost him 11 games.
After this past season, in which he sat out eight games with two separate strains to his right hamstring, the team and Watson wanted answers.
So, this offseason Watson went to the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health to find them. After eight hours of testing, it was learned that Watson was experiencing asymmetry in the level of strength in each of his legs. In other words, right hamstring was weaker than his left.
Right away, making sure both legs had equal levels of strength became Watson’s top priority. So far, the results have been encouraging.
Watson had 100% attendance at training camp, making a flurry of head turning plays along the way. The intensity will obviously ramp up when Green Bay flies to Brazil to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener on Friday, but Watson enters Year 3 with newfound optimism.
“I want to play 100% of the games, I want to play 100% of the practices,” he said. “I’m right where I want to be.”
Talk of Green Bay’s number one wide receiver could make Matt LaFleur lose his lunch, but there’s no denying who has the highest ceiling in the team’s deep receiver room.
It’s been said by both the coaches and players that the Packers’ offense is undeniably more dangerous when Watson is on the field. No other receiver poses the threat of taking the top off the defense and making a high-pointing catch over a number one corner the way he does. Unfortunately, we’ve only been able to catch glimpses.
Whether this is a make-or-break year for Watson is up for debate, but it’s undeniably crucial. For the Packers to chase their Super Bowl aspirations, they may need a healthy Watson to unlock his true potential.