The Green Bay Packers have authored a stunningly effective transition out of the Aaron Rodgers era, a feat made even more impressive considering the health issues they’ve navigated over the past couple of seasons.
At the top of the list of players hampered by injury is wide receiver Christian Watson. A lightning fast runner with big-play potential on every down, Watson joined the team’s roster in 2022 as a second-round pick (No. 34 overall) out of North Dakota State.
He was the first in a long line of quality pass-catchers Green Bay has acquired over the past two seasons. If he remained healthy all of that time, he would probably be the most accomplished statistically of the group as well.
Unfortunately for the Packers, Watson has played in just 23 of 34 regular season games since joining the NFL, amassing 20 starts in the process. Despite all the missed time and lingering injury issues Watson has faced, he has still scored 12 total TDs and averaged 15 yards per catch. However, he has caught only 69 passes for a total of 1,033 yards.
For Watson to reach his potential, he needs to get the hamstring issues that have plagued him under control. Fortunately for the Packers, team doctors appear to have made a breakthrough on that front.
Packers Believe They Have Unlocked Issues Behind Christian Watson’s Lingering Hamstring Problems
Green Bay is a legitimate Super Bowl contender after a breakout campaign from quarterback Jordan Love in 2023, but a healthy Watson will be key to reaching success at the highest levels.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky predicted on Wednesday, May 22, that Watson will author a breakout year as the team’s “biggest surprise” in 2024 considering the news he’s gotten from the Packers’ medical staff.
“Early reports on the ultra-talented receiver indicate he and the team [has] gotten a handle on what the [hamstring] issues have been over his first two seasons,” Demovsky said. “If that’s the case, Watson could be in line for a big campaign.”
Packers Have Quality Options at WR Behind Christian Watson if Health Issues Come Up Again
Time isn’t running out for the 25-year-old Watson in Green Bay, though proving his ability to stay on the field and producing a strong season are important for the receiver if he hopes to secure a long future with the franchise.
As a second-round pick, Green Bay doesn’t have a fifth-year option on Watson’s deal. That is good for the franchise in a sense, as it won’t have to make a significant financial decision on Watson next offseason under an early May deadline. However, he will enter unrestricted free agency in March 2026 if the team doesn’t extend him before then.
But regardless of how his next season or two play out from a production and/or injury standpoint, Green Bay has 2024 to get Watson right and see how equipped he to serve as the No. 1 receiver in the long-term. If he fails to stay on the field yet again, the Packers can transition to another player like Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks to assume the mantle as the team’s top pass-catching target, then begin considering a future that doesn’t feature Watson heavily, if at all.
