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Christian Watson Injury Update Is Promising for Packers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Couden | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 3:10 PM ET

Christian Watson became a valuable component of the Green Bay Packers' offense in his three seasons thus far. He's scored 16 touchdowns and had two 600-yard-plus seasons, giving quarterback Jordan Love another target to throw to.

Unfortunately, last year's season had a brutal ending for Watson, as he suffered a torn ACL injury in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. He had left ACL surgery in January to repair the injury, which also included damage to his knee.

ACL injuries typically take a considerable amount of time to recover from and rehabilitate. Due to his ongoing recovery process, the Packers placed Watson on the Player Unable to Perform (PUP) list late last week.

Training camp begins this week, and fans shouldn't expect to see Watson participating then, in preseason, or when the NFL season starts. Mid-November was the previous expectation for his return to the Packers at the earliest, but there appears to be optimism that Watson will be back earlier.

ESPN's Rob Demovsky recently called Watson someone to keep an eye on for the Packers' roster. In an update on Watson's progress, Demovsky said it appears he's on pace for an "accelerated" return.

He mentioned the Packers receiver was running routes in early June. While he is unlikely to participate in training camp, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur also called Watson's progress "outstanding" and said "he's ahead of schedule."

That seems to move his return up from mid-November. As he continues to recover, he and his wife, Lakyn, are expecting their first child, a baby boy. The couple got married last offseason.

Last season, Watson participated in a career high 15 games started and played. He tallied 620 receiving yards and 21.4 yards per reception, also career highs.

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Amid Watson's early absence, the Packers will rely on contributions from receivers, including Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and promising rookie Matthew Golden.

As of this writing, Green Bay has +2000 odds to win the Super Bowl, tying them for sixth overall with the San Francisco 49ers. An early return by Watson will likely boost the team's chances of capturing the NFC North this season, getting back to the postseason, and possibly reaching the big game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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