Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is undeniably talented, but all of the talent in the world won’t do him any good if he can’t stay on the field.
Watson has played in just 23 games since entering the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Packers in 2022. This past season, he appeared in just nine contests, catching 28 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns.
Leg injuries have been a big issue for Watson thus far, particularly when it comes to his hamstrings.
Well, Watson visited specialists this offseason to determine why he keeps getting injured, and they revealed a very interesting reason: he isn’t carrying his strength symmetrically.
Apparently, Watson’s left leg is significantly stronger than his right.
“One, it puts strain on the left side,” Watson said, via Ryan Wood of The Green Bay Press-Gazette. “The left is going through a lot more. Then, I mean, two, when you’re trying to be equal in power, it obviously puts a lot more stress on the one that’s not as strong.”
To counter the issue, Watson has been working on evening the strength distribution in his legs, which certainly sounds like an arduous process. Initially, his left leg was 20 percent stronger than his right. Now, he has gotten it down to 12 percent, and he hopes to drop it to six percent by time the season starts.
Where will Christian Watson fit in Packers receiving corps?
Going into last season, Watson was viewed as the No. 1 receiver for the Packers. Due to his injury issues, it certainly didn’t end up that way.
Out of Green Bay’s wide receivers, Watson finished fourth on the team in catches behind Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. So, will Watson be able to re-establish himself at the top of the Packers’ receiving corps?
It will be a difficult feat for Watson to achieve.
Quarterback Jordan Love has already become accustomed to finding targets like Reed and Doubs, so a level of comfort has certainly been developed there. Plus, those other wide outs have all been able to stay on the field for Green Bay.
Can Love really trust Watson in 2024?
Watson is a tantalizing talent. He stands 6-foot-4 and has outstanding speed, which is a rare combination. There is a reason why the Packers used such a high draft choice on him two years ago. But if he can’t stay healthy, it won’t mean all that much.
The fact of the matter is that the 25-year-old has already fallen behind on Green Bay’s depth chart. Reed, Doubs and Wicks all showed out last season and displayed that they can all absolutely be a part of the Packers’ offense moving forward. Watson has yet to prove that.
Of course, there is still time for Watson to change things. He has two years remaining on his deal, so Green Bay will absolutely give him another chance this coming season. However, if Watson gets hurt again or if he gets off to a slow start, he may end up falling out of the picture entirely.
