Injured Packers wide receiver agrees to one-year extension
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson has signed a one-year, $13.25 million contract extension with the franchise.
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It’s primetime on Prime with a prime matchup of two NFC championship contenders.
The Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders are set to take stage on “Thursday Night Football” this week, and both teams feature big-time additions that will steal the spotlight in Week 2.
The Packers made the biggest move of the offseason when they acquired pass rusher Micah Parsons from the Cowboys in the week leading up to the 2025 season. Green Bay sent two first-round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark to Dallas for Parsons.
It didn’t take long for the superstar to make his presence felt, with a freakish show of his signature athleticism all but closing out the game for Green Bay on Sunday vs. the Detroit Lions.
It also didn’t take long for Jayden Daniels and Deebo Samuel to get acquainted. The wide receiver made his presence felt with seven receptions for 77 yards in Washington’s Week 1 win over division rival New York. He also hit paydirt with a 19-yard rushing touchdown.
Same faces, new places, but both squads are hoping they’ll see each other once again when the weather gets colder. Don’t miss it – USA TODAY Sports has you covered with highlights, updates, news and more from the Week 2 “Thursday Night Football” matchup below. All times are Eastern.
The Packers failed to run more time off the clock but after forcing the turnover on downs were already in field goal range.
Matt LaFleur sent McManus onto the field and the veteran kicker nailed a 56-yard attempt. Green Bay has extended the lead to 17 with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter.
Packers 27, Commanders 10
The Commanders are feeling the pressure to keep up with the Packers and went for it on fourth down. Jayden Daniels attempted a pass to Jaylin Lane on fourth-and-4, but the pass fell incomplete with Keisean Nixon in tight coverage.
After the incompletion and a turnover on downs, Green Bay takes over on Washington’s 40-yard line with 7:42 to go.
The Packers methodically moved the ball down the field on Washington. Driving 65 yards resulting in an 8-yard touchdown catch by tight end Tucker Kraft. He adds to his big night with 6 receptions for 124 yards and a score.
Packers 24, Commanders 10
Jayden Daniels connected with his 34-year-old tight end for a 20-yard touchdown as the Commanders find the end zone for the first time tonight. Ertz is Washington’s leading receiver in the game to this point with four receptions for 49 yards and a score. Matt Gay’s extra point attempt is good, cutting the lead to seven with 13:45 to go in the fourth quarter.
Packers 17, Commanders 10
The Packers put a long drive together on their first drive of the second half, but weren’t able to find the end zone after creating a goal-to-go opportunity. They settled for a short field goal by Brandon McManus and extended their lead.
Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels and Washington is driving into Green Bay territory entering the final quarter. Two plays before the end of the quarter, Washington went for it on 4th and 7. A defensive holding penalty awarded Washington an automatic first down. They have the ball on Green Bay’s 32-yard line to open the fourth quarter.
After Washington’s offense went 3-and-out, the Commanders defense managed to get a quick stop of their own. Jaylin Lane had another solid return, so Jayden Daniels and Co. will get the ball near midfield, trailing by 14 with 3:31 left in the third quarter.
Washington remains unable to move the ball on offense. The Commanders gained just seven yards on the drive and gave the ball back to the Packers, who are leading by 14 with 5:07 left in the third quarter.
Green Bay has thus far outgained Washington 343-99 in a thoroughly dominant performance.
The Packers ran 5:17 off the clock on their first drive of the second half, but weren’t able to find the end zone after creating a goal-to-go opportunity.
Matt LaFleur marched McManus onto the field and the veteran nailed a 22-yard kick. That extended Green Bay’s lead back to 14 with 6:37 left in the third quarter.
Packers 17, Commanders 3
The Commanders once again got into scoring range but couldn’t convert. After missing to the left, Gay overcorrected, launching his latest 52-yard kick off the right upright.
The Packers defense deserves credit for forcing Washington into another long field goal attempt. Edgerrin Cooper and Micah Parsons got to Jayden Daniels on a third-and-medium and brought him down for a shared sack.
Like Reed, Wise has been ruled out for the remainder of the game because of a quad injury.
The Packers have ruled out wide receiver Jayden Reed for the remainder of the contest after he suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter.
Reed’s absence should create more opportunities for Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden and Dontavyion Wicks at receiver while tight end Tucker Kraft could also see more looks.
Jeff Hafley is the Packers defensive coordinator. The 46-year-old is in his second year in the role after vacating his post as Boston College’s head coach to take on the job.
The Packers ranked fifth in the NFL in defensive EPA per play in 2024. They allowed the fifth-fewest yards and the sixth-fewest points in the NFL.
Love had a terrific first half against the Commanders, logging the most passing yards in a first half of a game in his career. Below is a look at his stats from the first two quarters:
Completions/attempts (%): 13/18 (72.2%)Passing yards: 214Passing TDs: 1INTs: 0Yards/attempt: 11.9Rating: 130.3
Love also ran for 14 yards on his lone scramble of the first half.
Daniels settled for a lot of checkdowns early in the game and has been held in check by the Packers for the most part. Below is a look at his stats from the first two quarters:
Completions/attempts (%): 9/15 (60%)Passing yards: 49Passing TDs: 0INTs: 0Rating: 65.7
Daniels is also the Commanders’ leading rusher with 14 yards on three carries.
The Packers had a chance to extend their lead to an even 14 point before halftime. However, McManus’ kick doinked off the left upright, meaning the teams traded missed field goals to end the first half.
Green Bay has outgained Washington 274-82 through two quarters, with Jordan Love passing for 214 yards and a touchdown and Josh Jacobs adding 42 yards and a score on the ground.
The Commanders started slowly, but Jayden Daniels has showed signs of life on recent drives, twice getting Washington into long field goal range. Dan Quinn’s team will get the ball back to start the second half and will look to cut into Green Bay’s 11-point lead.
Packers 14, Commanders 3
Gay’s first field goal attempt from 51 yards just snuck inside the left upright. His second curled outside it, giving the Packers the ball back just shy of midfield with 14 seconds and three timeouts left before halftime.
The Commanders forced the Packers into a 3-and-out thanks, in part, to a John FitzPatrick holding penalty on a second-and-short. A nice, 24-yard punt return by Jaylin Lane sets Washington up at the 43-yard line, positioning them to get into scoring range before halftime.
The Commanders are finally on the board. Jayden Daniels and the Washington offense generated some momentum on their fourth drive, but they weren’t able to convert a third-and-5 to get closer to the red zone.
As a result, Gay matched on to try the 51-yard kick. He fit it inside the left upright to cut Washington’s deficit to 11 points.
Packers 14, Commanders 3
Yes, Luke McCaffrey is Christian McCaffrey’s younger brother. The younger McCaffrey was selected by the Commanders in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and had 18 catches for 168 yards during his rookie season.
Wise suffered a nasty-looking injury on the extra point attempt following Green Bay’s second touchdown. The Commanders defender was attempting to block the field goal when, while jumping, he had a member of the Packers’ blocking unit roll on his right leg.
Wise was carted off because of the injury, apparently wearing a brace on his injured leg.
For the second time tonight, the Packers have logged a touchdown drive longer than 92 yards. This time, Jacobs finished the drive with a powerful, 2-yard plunge to put Green Bay up two scores.
Brandon McManus made the extra point to extend Green Bay’s lead to 14.
Packers 14, Commanders 0
Jordan Love lofted a deep pass to Heath down the left sideline. Originally, it was ruled that Heath had failed to make the catch in-bounds. After review, it was revealed Heath had gotten both of his feet down, resulting in a 37-yard completion.
Brown had a chance to make a first-down catch, but Nixon made a nice recovery on the play and managed to knock the ball out of his hands. Tress Way’s punt once again is downed inside the 10-yard line, so the Packers will start deep in their own territory.
The Commanders announced that Amos, a second-round rookie who is one of the team’s starting cornerbacks, is questionable to return with a shoulder injury.
The Packers weren’t able to do much on their third offensive drive, and are likely set to punt on fourth-and-4 from their own 30-yard line when the second quarter begins.
Thus far, Jordan Love has been the better of the two quarterbacks, completing 8 of 11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked on the Packers’ most recent drive, but he has generally been well-protected despite being behind a Green Bay offensive line missing two starters (LG Aaron Banks and RT Zach Tom).
Jayden Daniels has completed all three of his passes, but he hasn’t been able to get the ball downfield. The Commanders have just 11 total yards of offense on six offensive plays and will need to create some more explosive plays to do damage against Jeff Hafley’s defense.
So far, the Packers have done a good job of making Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense look uncomfortable. Green Bay hasn’t allowed Washington to run the ball while Daniels has been forced to check the ball down on each of his three pass attempts so far.
Tress Way punts the ball back to the Packers, and Green Bay will have a chance to build on its seven-point lead.
The Packers started their second drive on their own 4-yard line. They marched 96 yards in seven plays, with Tucker Kraft’s 57-yard reception being the driving force behind their offensive success.
Green Bay capped off the drive with a 5-yard TD pass from Love to Doubs, during which the Packers bluffed like they were going to run it but dropped straight into a one-man route. Doubs got open on the slant while Brandon McManus’ extra point extended the Packers’ lead to 7.
Packers 7, Commanders 0
Love didn’t run a lot during the 2024 NFL season while nursing a knee injury. He showed off his mobility early in Thursday’s game, running for 14 yards while impressively bouncing off a tackle to set up a goal-to-go opportunity.
Doubs is one of the NFL players who wears a Guardian Cap, a soft-shell helmet cover that is meant to help reduce concussions. Doubs has a history of concussions, so the Guardian Cap will add him an extra layer of security.
The Packers are wearing all white as part of their second annual “Winter Warning whiteout” game. The uniform combination includes Green Bay’s alternate white helmet, which adds to the “blizzard” effect the team is attempting to achieve.
The Commanders were unable to move the ball much on their first possession. Jayden Daniels was able to complete a couple of checkdowns to Austin Ekeler, but a loss of a few yards on a second-down sack prevented Washington from making the line to gain.
Tress Way launched an impressive 57-yard punt that backed up Matthew Golden to his own 4-yard line. Percy Butler was able to hit Golden as he caught the ball, meaning the Packers will have to start deep in their own territory on their second possession.
Reed was injured on the Packers’ opening drive after making a touchdown catch that was wiped out by a penalty. He went to the ground hard and came up favoring his right shoulder.
Reed was able to walk off the field under his own power, but he wasn’t moving his arm much. The Packers didn’t immediately provide an update on the receiver’s condition.
After gaining 16 yards on a third-and-19 dump-off to running back Chris Brooks, Matt LaFleur decided to eschew a field goal and have his offense go for it on fourth-and-3.Â
Jordan Love had first-round rookie Matthew Golden streaking open down the middle of the field, but fellow rookie defensive back Trey Amos managed to recover and knock the ball to the ground.
What time does Packers vs. Commanders start?
The Week 2 “Thursday Night Football” matchup between Green Bay and Washington kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. CT).
What TV channel is Packers vs. Commanders on?Green Bay market: WGBA-TV (NBC26)Milwaukee market: WITI-TV (Fox 6)Washington D.C. market: WTTG-TV (Fox 5)
For those in local markets, the game will air on NBC (Green Bay) and Fox (Milwaukee and Washington).
National viewers will have to stream the matchup on Amazon Prime Video, the home of “TNF.”
Watch “Thursday Night Football” with Amazon Prime
Packers vs. Commanders odds, moneyline, O/U
Week 2 kicks off at historic Lambeau Field, a difficult place to play for visiting opponents. Both the Packers and Commanders are contenders this season and are coming off Week 1 victories. Green Bay’s defense was terrific against the Lions, holding Detroit to just 13 points. Meanwhile, the Commanders could be a bit undervalued after they made it look easy against the Giants last week. Still, they finished 20th in pass defense DVOA a season ago, and Jordan Love is healthy.
Green Bay is 4-1 against-the-spread (ATS) in its last five home games and is a 3-point favorite on Thursday night. The Packers defense held the Lions to a measly 2.1 yards per carry in Week 1. The Packers will slow down Jayden Daniels with the help of their newest addition, Micah Parsons, and get a statement win in primetime. -Tom Viera
Prediction: Packers 24, Commanders 20
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“Thursday Night Football” is only available to National viewers via streaming on Amazon Prime Video, the home of “TNF.”
Watch “Thursday Night Football” with Amazon Prime
Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be in the broadcast booth for Prime Video, with Kaylee Hartung (sideline) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) providing additional coverage. Â
The Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame shows feature Charissa Thompson as host, as well as former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth as analysts. Â
Taylor Rooks is the feature reporter for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” coverage. Albert Breer provides reports and analysis.Â
Green Bay Packers (1-0) Minnesota Vikings (1-0) Chicago Bears (0-1) Detroit Lions (0-1) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) Washington Commanders (1-0) Dallas Cowboys (0-1) New York Giants (0-1) 16 CB Bo Melton39 S Zayne Anderson50 OL Zach Tom65 G Aaron Banks89 TE Ben Sims91 DL Warren BrinsonThursday, Sept. 4
Philadelphia Eagles 24, Dallas Cowboys 20
Friday, Sept. 5
Los Angeles Chargers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 21
Sunday, Sept. 7Las Vegas Raiders 20, New England Patriots 13Pittsburgh Steelers 34, New York Jets 32Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Atlanta Falcons 20Indianapolis Colts 33, Miami Dolphins 8Arizona Cardinals 20, New Orleans Saints 13Washington Commanders 21, New York Giants 6Cincinnati Bengals 17, Cleveland Browns 16Jacksonville Jaguars 26, Carolina Panthers 10San Francisco 49ers 17, Seattle Seahawks 13Green Bay Packers 27, Detroit Lions 13Los Angeles Rams 14, Houston Texans 9Denver Broncos 20, Tennessee Titans 12Buffalo Bills 41, Baltimore Ravens 40Monday, Sept. 8Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 25Packers get:Cowboys getDL Kenny Clark2026 first-round pick2027 first-round pick
The Green Bay Packers pulled off a stunning blockbuster when they acquired Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys on eve of the 2025 NFL season. Parsons was embroiled in a contract dispute with the Cowboys and had requested a trade away from the club. However, many believed the 26-year-old edge rusher’s request was just a negotiating tactic and that a deal would eventually be struck between the two sides.
Instead, Dallas sent Parsons to Green Bay just seven days before the Cowboys opened their season against the Philadelphia Eagles. – Jacob Camenker
The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six.Â
Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.Â
Just three players in the 2025 NFL player pool are 40 years old or older: Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Jets kicker Nick Folk, and Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.Â
Rodgers will turn 42 during the season, with a birthday coming the first week in December.Â
Here’s the full list of the oldest players in football:Â
QB Aaron Rodgers, Steelers: 41 years old (Dec. 2, 1983) K Matt Prater, Bills: 41 years old (Aug. 10, 1984) K Nick Folk, Jets: 40 years old (Nov. 5, 1984) QB Joe Flacco, Browns: 40 years old (Jan. 16, 1985) C/LS J.J. Jansen, Panthers: 39 years old (Jan. 20, 1986) C/LS Jon Weeks, 49ers: 39 years old (Feb. 17, 1986) P Thomas Morstead, 49ers: 39 years old (March 8, 1986) C/LS Morgan Cox, Titans: 39 years old (April 26, 1986) QB Josh Johnson, Commanders: 39 years old (May 15, 1986) DL Calais Campbell, Cardinals: 39 years old (Sept. 1, 1986) 1. Buffalo Bills (+600)2. Baltimore Ravens (+650)3. Philadelphia Eagles (+700)4. Green Bay Packers (+800)5. Kansas City Chiefs (+1200)6. Detroit Lions (+1700)7. San Francisco 49ers (+1800)T8. Cincinnati Bengals (+2000)T8. Los Angeles Chargers (+2000)T8. Los Angeles Rams (+2000)T8. Washington Commanders (+2000)
Michaels, who is once again serving as the play-by-play voice of Amazon Prime’s “Thursday Night Football,” is 80 years old. He will turn 81 in November and has worked on network sports television since 1971.
Daniels originally attended Arizona State but transferred to LSU for his final two seasons.
Daniels completed 72.2% of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions in his final season with the Tigers in 2023. He also ran for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns while winning the Heisman Trophy.