GREEN BAY, Wis. – Christian Watson is back.
The Green Bay Packers’ fourth-year receiver, with a blend of size, speed and grit that is unmatched in the team’s receiver room, will be activated from injured reserve and presumably will play in Sunday night’s game at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watson essentially announced the news on Instagram.
In a corresponding roster move, the Packers released a tight end.
With Watson’s 21-day return-to-practice window about to close, his return this week has been the expectation. Watson said as much on Wednesday.
“My goal and my plan is to play this week,” he said.
That was team’s goal, as well, he said.
“For the most part, yeah,” he said. “They tell me to have that kind of plan every week and just kind of see how it goes. But my interpretation of everything is to go out there and try to have the mindset that I’ll be able to play.”
Watson suffered a torn ACL against the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of last season. Between the injury on Jan. 5 and the kickoff on Oct. 26, Rodgers will have returned to the field in 294 days.
“I’d say I could’ve played last week, too, to be honest,” Watson said.
Watson, who was questionable on this week’s injury report after being ruled out the previous two weeks, will add to Green Bay’s deep and diverse group of passing-game weapons. Working him in shouldn’t be an issue this week with Dontayvion Wicks out with a calf injury and Matthew Golden questionable with a hip injury that popped up on Friday.
“Yeah, you’ve kind of got to temper your expectations whenever he gets back and just kind of ease him into it,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Thursday. “It’s been a while since he’s played in a real football game, but I’m excited for him. I’m excited. He brings a lot to our offense just as far as his size and speed and everything like that (and) his leadership on the field and all the things that don’t end up on the stat sheet. He really adds a lot to our offense.”
When it’s at full strength, it will be a crowded receiver room with Watson, Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath and rookies Golden and Savion Williams. The group will get even more crowded when Jayden Reed returns in the next month or so following his Week 2 broken collarbone.
Watson, obviously, will bring an additional speed element to Green Bay’s offense. Among receivers who were targeted at least 50 times last season, Watson finished second with 21.4 yards per catch.
Watson is more than just a deep threat, though. He’s perhaps the team’s best point-of-attack blocker among the receivers. The Packers averaged 0.35 yards more per carry when Watson was on the field compared to when he was off, according to league data. In the passing game, the offense was plus-1.27 yards per snap better.
“He’s a rare breed in the fact that he can take the top off [the defense] and I also think he’s got some goon-type qualities at the same time in regards to being able to be very physical in the run game,” coach Matt LaFleur said this week.
“So, I just think what he brings size, speed element, it just gives us so much flexibility as an offense, because you can plug and play him in any position, and you can do it within a game (and) within a series. And he just doesn’t blink at it. And there’s very few guys that I know that can go in and play the X, the F or the Z.”
Of the 187 active players with at least 98 career catches – that’s Watson’s three-year total – he ranks third with 16.9 yards per catch and is tied for 10th with 9.6 yards per target.
With Watson and Golden, Green Bay will have an abundance of speed to stretch the field, which is how quarterback Jordan Love wants to play.
“He’s one of the best players out there,” Love said a couple weeks ago. “I think obviously his speed is just one of the things that stand out about him. He stretches the defense out and puts a lot of stress on them.
“I think just his leadership in that receiver room – him and Rome are the older guys in that room – so I think their leadership there and just kind of setting that standard is always great. Christian does so many things for us on offense. Once we get him back, I think we’ll keep evolving as an offense.”
Love’s comeback from the torn ACL has gone remarkably smoothly. He’s been at top speed for a few months, he said. Critically, Watson participated in all 10 practices since his return-to-play window opened on Oct. 6.
What will Watson add to one of the league’s better attacks?
“I’m adding me,” he said. “I feel like just me being out there is going to help open everybody up. I think they’ll have to obviously respect my ability to beat them deep, for sure. It’s just another person that they have to be wary of, regardless. I’ve made plays in my career and, obviously, defenses have to respect that.”
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