The Green Bay Packers offense got off to a slow start in 2023. Despite blowing out the Chicago Bears in Week One, it was painfully obvious that they were young, inexperienced, and in need of more time to develop as a unit. These issues were compounded by the fact that the offense suffered several injuries to key players early that also slowed down whatever growth they needed.
Wide receiver Christian Watson missed the first three games of the season with a hamstring injury. In that Week One win, David Bakhtiari was lost for the season with a knee injury and running back Aaron Jones strained a hamstring and was out for a few weeks after.
Now, Bakhtiari and Jones are gone, replaced by younger (and hopefully healthier) players in Josh Jacobs and Jordan Morgan. Watson, though, remains and the Packers are hopeful that they have finally gotten to the root of his leg issues.
Christian Watson Has Battled Injuries Ever Since Being Drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Soon after getting drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Watson decided to have a small procedure on his knee that, he hoped, would prevent him from sustaining hamstring injuries. This caused him to miss a large part of the offseason program and, as fans saw early, affected his chemistry with then-quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Unfortunately, the surgery also did not work. Watson suffered a hamstring injury in Week Two of his rookie season and missed the next game. He then reaggravated the injury in Week Five and missed two more games.
Two weeks after coming back from his injury, Watson had his breakout game, catching four passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. That games started a stretch that saw him become the first rookie wide receiver since Randy Moss to score eight touchdowns in four games.
Watson finished his rookie season with 41 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdown receptions. He also had two rushing touchdowns.
Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Christian Watson Struggled with Hamstring Injuries in 2023, Too
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Watson missed the first three games of the 2023 NFL season with another hamstring injury. Even though he played the next nine games, he did not start to show flashes of the effective player he was when healthy in 2022 until late in the season.
On Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions, Watson had five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. The next week, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he hauled in seven receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns.
Unfortunately, it was in that game that he, once again, hurt his hamstring. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the regular season.
After Green Bay’s season was over, Watson and cornerback Eric Stokes traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to see a specialist and get to the bottom of why they both suffered such frequent injuries.
Green Bay Packers Passing Game Coordinator Jason Vrable Has a Positive Update on Christian Watson
When addressing reporters last week, passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, who was the team’s wide receivers coach from 2020-2023, said that it appears, and they are hopeful, that Watson’s frequent injuries are behind him:
“He went down and saw all the specialists and did everything the training staff has done, and they’ve done a tremendous job. He’s in a great place right now.”
Vrable also revealed that there is a plan in place to ensure that the team supports Watson and his efforts to keep his legs healthy:
“I just say, ‘Hey, if there’s ever a day you maybe feel fatigued or run down from multiple days in a row, just give me a heads up and let me know so we’re more on the same page.’ Everybody thinks a young player should just be able to run for days. The difference in him is that when he’s running, he’s hitting 21 miles per hour multiple days in a row. For whatever reason, we just had some unfortunate circumstances where he’s had the injuries.”
The Packers have a very good group of wide receivers with multiple players who can step up in any given week. That being said, the offense is much better if Watson is on the field, stretching the field with his speed. If his injuries truly are a thing of the past, the offense could be in for a big year.
