Sammy Watkins officially returned to practice for the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, October 19, after missing the past month with a hamstring injury, and the veteran wide receiver had no problem opening up about what exactly happened to him that caused him to miss four games on the injured reserve list.
The Packers designated Watkins for return to practice in Wednesday’s first session for their Week 7 matchup with the Washington Commanders, via the NFL’s official transaction wire for October 19. The Packers will now have 21 days to activate him back to the 53-man roster or keep him on injured reserve for the rest of the season, which seems unlikely after how Watkins spoke about how he felt on Wednesday.
“It felt great to be out there and be back in the group with the guys,” Watkins told reporters after October 19’s practice. “Ran around pretty good today and I’m just excited. It’s the first day back and got to block, catch passes, do routes and, you know, it’s a fun feeling when you’re back in the mix. I had a good day.”
After practice, Watkins also shared with members of the media how his injury came about in the first place. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the 29-year-old receiver said he started to feel “discomfort” in his hamstring during Week 2’s win over the Chicago Bears, against whom he caught three passes for 93 yards. He tried to take things slower in the team’s next practice, but he “went full speed on a stop route on the last play” and felt his hamstring “pop.”
“I had to just fall down or I felt like it was going to tear off the bone,” Watkins said, via a tweet from Wood.
Watkins Praises Packers’ Training Staff for Quick Recovery
One of the big concerns with Watkins coming to Green Bay was his extensive injury history. While the Packers didn’t pay much money to bring him in, it was still worrisome to have an investment in a receiver who had missed 30 games over eight seasons due to injuries. Watkins was also well aware of the stain the injuries had left on his career and poured his attention into making sure his body was in pristine shape heading into the 2022 season to hopefully mitigate any further problems with injuries.
Nevertheless, Watkins only made it two games for the Packers before getting shut down for the next four weeks.
“It hurt me because I had a great camp and had a great game the game before and then just to have that, it’s like, ‘Man, dang, I thought it was all going well,'” Watkins said. “But I’ve been there before and, like I said, it’s a part of the journey. When adversity strikes, I think God sets you up for something better later and it made me focus back on my body and [get] in tune with myself. I handled it well. This is the fastest I’ve ever recovered back from a hamstring injury, three weeks, so that’s a great feeling. Mentally, I’m good and I just can’t wait to go back out there, blocking, catching balls and doing whatever I can to help the team.”
Watkins said there was nothing he did differently that helped speed along his recovery from his hamstring injury. He did, however, credit the Packers coaches and training staff with giving him the support he needed to get back onto the field quicker than ever.
“I think, one, it’s the coaches,” Watkins said. “They supported the trainers and the trainers supported me. I was shocked every day like, ‘Man, why am I feeling better like I can go play the next week?’ Hats off to the trainers. I’ve been feeling great and that’s the good part about it. I thank those guys for helping me recover.”
Watkins Preparing Like He Will Play vs. Commanders
The Packers could certainly use Watkins back in the fold after losing Randall Cobb to an ankle injury in Week 6’s loss to the New York Jets. While Cobb remains on the active roster, it is expected he will miss at least the next two games, potentially more. The Packers are also still practicing without rookie Christian Watson, who has missed two of the last four games with his own recurring hamstring issues and could end up getting a stint on injured reserve (out for a minimum of four games) in the coming days.
At the same time, the Packers still have a few more hurdles to clear before they can officially welcome back Watkins into their lineup. Watkins said he isn’t sure whether he will be activated in time to play against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, but he is focused on passing every test the coaching staff puts in front of him and will continue to prepare like he is going to play in Week 7, even if it doesn’t work out.
“Keep working hard,” Watkins said. “Whatever the trainers and coaches throw at me, try to pass those tests and then, moving forward, let them make the decision of whether I’m going to play or not going to play — and prepare to play this game. That’s the biggest thing. My mindset has got to be locked in so that if they do call me up to play, I’m ready and focused.”
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Packers’ Sammy Watkins Breaks Silence on Hamstring Injury