Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field on October 03, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
There is no other way to slice it — the Green Bay Packers are on the ropes, and the offense needs all the help it can get.
Green Bay stood pat at the trade deadline, failing to find the appropriate value on deals for playmakers on the edge such as Chase Claypool (now of the Chicago Bears) and Brandin Cooks of the Houston Texans. While free agency options remain, the Packers have bet on the receivers they have in-house to get them back on track after a 3-5 start. To do that, however, those wideouts need to get healthy.
On Thursday, November 3, Ryan Wood of USA Today offered an encouraging report in that regard concerning Allen Lazard and Christian Watson.
“#Packers rookie WR Christian Watson returned to practice today. A good sign he’s progressing through concussion protocol,” Wood tweeted. “Elgton Jenkins (foot) and Allen Lazard (shoulder) practiced.”
Lazard, who missed last Sunday’s contest, was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday.
Wood went on to note that OL David Bakhtiari, LB De’Vondre Campbell, CB Shemar Jean-Charles and TE Marcedes Lewis were inactive on Thursday.
Packers Will Rely Heavily on Development of Watson to Right Ship
GettyWide receiver Christian Watson of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on September 18, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
For the Packers to truly compete in the second half of the season, it will take more than health. The players already on the roster must also improve. The most room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball resides with Watson, a second-round draft pick who was selected there due to his outstanding athletic measurables.
Watson has missed three games this season due to various ailments, including Week 6 and Week 7 with a lingering hamstring issue that nearly landed him on IR with his fellow wideout Randall Cobb. A concussion knocked Watson out of last weekend’s game against the Buffalo Bills early. But even when the rookie has been between the lines, he has failed to produce at anywhere close to the level the Packers need.
Through five game appearances, Watson has caught just eight passes for 64 yards, per Pro Football Reference. He’s rushed the ball three times for 19 yards and his only touchdown of the season. Some of that is a function of how much he’s been on the field, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers clearly doesn’t yet trust his rookie target. Rodgers has targeted Watson only 12 times on the season, as opposed to fellow rookie Romeo Doubs who has been targeted 49 times in eight appearances and started six games.
Clearly more trust must be developed between Rodgers and Watson during practice. A good start to that is Watson actually being available for those sessions, which he was Thursday.
Free Agency May Not Help Packers Fast Enough to Save Season
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers looks on from the bench during a game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on October 23, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Of course, Green Bay can still add to its receiver room, just not by way of a trade. Free agency options like Odell Beckham Jr. and Will Fuller remain available, each offering the team something it doesn’t currently have — speed and separation on the outside of the field.
The problem is that Beckham may not be available to play until December, while Fuller has a history of injuries that have kept him off the field frequently throughout his five-year NFL career. Bill Barnewell of ESPN noted on Thursday that Beckham’s price will also continue to rise, as prominent contenders like Green Bay and the Los Angeles Rams “get more desperate.”
The Packers have a tough schedule ahead, with five of their final nine games against teams with winning records and good chances to earn postseason berths. They currently have a 38.6% chance to make the playoffs themselves, according to ESPN’s FPI. Those odds will decrease drastically should they fall to the Detroit Lions on the road Sunday.
But even if Green Bay should win, they will face the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles over the next three games — a stretch likely to either place them firmly in playoff contention or all but eliminate them.
It is unlikely Beckham would be able to help much, if at all, through that stretch, leaving it to players like Lazard, Watson and Doubs to be good enough and reliable enough to help Rodgers keep the Packers in legitimate contention.