Packers receiver Christian Watson healthy and ‘ready for anything’

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Last year, Jordan Love finished seventh in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers’ first-year starting quarterback. He did it without the team’s top big-play threat getting in the way.

Receiver Christian Watson played in nine of 17 games, missing the start and end of the regular season with hamstring injuries. After a stellar second half in 2022 that fueled expectations for a prolific 2023 season, he finished fourth among the team’s receivers in snaps and logged 40.7 percent of playing time.

This offseason, the Packers and Watson have been looking for more than answers. They looked for a solutionA sustainable solution.

Maybe, just maybe, this mission was a success.

Watson didn’t miss a single practice from the start of workouts in May through the end of training camp last week. Starting with Friday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Watson should be able to hit full speed.

“That’s been my goal all offseason,” Watson said after Monday’s practice. “It hasn’t worked out that way for me in the past, but I’m taking it the way I always have mentally. Every day, I’m taking it day by day health-wise, but the excitement is there for sure.”

“That’s the way it’s supposed to be. I’m supposed to be 100 percent. I want to play 100 percent of the games. I want to play 100 percent of the practices. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

We hope Watson will make the difference from the start.

As a rookie, Watson missed three of the first seven games. Finally, in Game 10, Watson had his breakout performance with four receptions for 107 yards and three touchdowns against Dallas. He had seven touchdowns in four games—including a 63-yard catch from Love in Philadelphia—and three 100-yard games in the second half of the season.

That fueled inflated expectations early last season. However, he missed the first three weeks with a hamstring issue. Finally, in Game 11, Watson found his groove. A first-play bomb highlighted his five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown in an upset win at Detroit. The following week, he caught seven passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns in an upset win over Kansas City as the Packers improved to 6-3 in games in which he scored.

However, Watson injured his hamstring late in the game. He missed the final five games of the regular season and was a non-factor with just two receptions for 20 yards in two playoff games.

In 2022 and 2023, Watson had to build himself into a game-changing weapon. Hopefully that building work was done during training camp and Watson will be at his best against the Eagles.

“We’ve all seen how explosive and dynamic he is as a playmaker,” coach Matt LaFleur said Monday, “whether we’re passing down a jet sweep like we did a couple years ago in Chicago, or in the passing game (and) making great catches.

“He’s a big part of our game. He’s a big, physical, fast player, and there aren’t many of those guys. So we’re definitely a better offense when he’s at his best.”

In his career, Watson has recorded just one 40-yard rushing game in September and October and just one touchdown in the first nine games of a season. Perhaps with a full training camp behind him, Watson will be ready to push a very good offense to greatness.

“I think confidence is a big part of playing in this league,” Watson said. “I’m not saying I wasn’t confident going into my freshman year, but there’s a lot to take in. There’s a lot of expectations. There’s a lot of weight on your shoulders.”

“When you can play a lot more freely, you have a lot more confidence and I think that’s where I am. I’ve played a lot of games, in my opinion, in the league. Enough to know what I’m capable of. I know what to expect in certain situations and what not to expect sometimes. I definitely think I’m a different player, but I’m ready to give it my all.”

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