Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson did not practice on Thursday with a hamstring injury. He is on track to miss his second consecutive game on Sunday with a hamstring injury. This will be the fifth time this season Watson has missed game action to due a hamstring injury.
It has been a rough second season for him trying to stay on the field. So far this season, Christian Watson has caught 28 passes for 422 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He has averaged 15.1 yards per reception this season. Watson has been targeted 53 times by quarterback Jordan Love this season.
Speaking of Love, he was asked about the Christian Watson injury earlier this week and he told the media about it:
“I think any time you don’t have your best guys out there, it is tough. But we have had so many reps with other guys in our offense that, I’m comfortable, those guys are comfortable. But like you said, it is really that next man up mentality. But obviously, it’s tough. You always want to have your best guys out there. But things happen. It’s football. Injuries happen. You just have to move on, not make excuses about anything. Obviously, get as comfortable as you can throughout the week, repetitions, things like that. Make sure we’re going out there to perform our best.”
Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Christian Watson May Not Be the Number One Wide Receiver Next Season If He Continues to Miss Time
Entering this season, Watson was listed as the number-one wide receiver on the Packers depth chart. A lot has turned ever since the preseason for him. He has the talent to be the number-one wideout for Green Bay, but the best availability is durability.
Jayden Reed was listed as the third wide receiver on Green Bay’s depth chart entering this season, but it feels like he is becoming the Packers’ number-one option for quarterback Jordan Love. Romeo Doubs is the number two option.
Some will even argue that Dontayvion Wicks has been better as a rookie this season than Christian Watson has this season for the Green Bay Packers. If Watson continues to be sidelined after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, Green Bay will have a massive decision to make in the offseason.
With all of the young receiver talent they have, would they be willing to trade Watson for extra help because they are deep at the position or would they be willing to risk having him on the roster as an injury-prone player for the third straight season? That is something general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur are going to have to discuss this offseason.
Watson was supposed to have a season where he would be close to 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns and over 80 receptions. That didn’t turn out the way the Green Bay Packers hoped for.