Getty Packers WR Christian Watson, who is dealing with another hamstring injury
Certainly, there is no good news for the Green Bay Packers to be found when it comes to a Christian Watson injury, especially when that injury is to his hamstring.
Yes, the same hamstring that kept him out for the first three games of this season, and the same type of injury that cost him four games last year.
But if there is a glimmer of hope, it is that the late-game hamstring problem he suffered against Kansas City is not as bad as the injury he suffered back in September.
He thinks.
“I don’t think it is as severe,” Watson said after practice on Thursday, his first time addressing the injury ahead of Monday night’s Week 14 matchup against the Giants. “That’s what I know, I don’t think it is as severe as the last one.”
Still, Watson sat out of practice because of the injury, and is officially listed as questionable for the game. He, like the rest of us, would like that to be a little more certain. Given his history, this is an injury that remains a big-time concern for the Packers.
“I am trying to get back on the field as quickly as I can. I am going to let them know exactly what I can do every day, try to push it as much as I can as fast as I can,” Watson said.
Christian Watson Was Stepping Into No. 1 WR Role
The unfortunate aspect of this Christian Watson injury is that it comes at a moment when, for the first time in the Jordan Love Era, Watson was playing like a true No.1 receiver and solidifying his connection with Love week after week.
In the past two games—huge wins over the Lions and Chiefs, two of the best teams in the NFL—Watson has been at his best, totaling 165 yards on 12 catches and three touchdowns in the two games. Those two games account for nearly half his 28 catches on the season and 40% of his 422 receiving yards.
It is as frustrating for Watson as it is for fans.
“I mean, I don’t care if it just kept me out for that game, I don’t want to be hurt at all,” Watson said. “It could have been fine and just kept me out for that game or kept me out for one week, I would be just as mad as if it was an injury that was gonna keep me out for multiple weeks. I was upset. I have dealt with injuries throughout this season obviously a lot more that I would have liked to. It was just tough to have to deal with something again.”
Packers Face a Relatively Light Schedule With Playoffs in the Balance
At 6-6 and with a playoff spot in the balance, the Packers can’t afford to take any opponent lightly, but they do have the advantage of being able to run up against lesser foes in the coming weeks.
The Giants are 4-8 and the Week 15 opponent, the Buccaneers, are 5-7. Carolina in Week 16 is 1-11. If Watson had to miss some stretch of games, this is not a bad one to sit out, with opponents bearing a combined 10-26 record.
Still, the Christian Watson injury issue needs to stop, and no one knows that more than Christian Watson. And he says he is doing everything in his power to get help with the hamstrings.
“Obviously, I know, as a professional athlete that I’ve got to be out there playing. I’ve definitely looked at ways to try to prevent it. It’s just a tough thing to prevent. I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to figure out ways, and talk to different doctors, and do different things to try to figure it out,” Watson said.
“It’s a full body thing. So, I mean, I really got to hammer in this offseason at making sure everything with my body is correct, from the back to the hips to the knees, just to make sure everything is working properly so there’s no stress anywhere else.”