GREEN BAY — Christian Watson didn’t catch a single pass during Wednesday’s first open-to-the-media organized team activity practice.
Well, he did catch the same ball over and over again on the Ray Nitschke Field sideline, throwing it above his head repeatedly while his Green Bay Packers teammates practiced for real — or at least as real as an offseason practice can be in helmets and shorts.
And yet, while the Packers big, fast fourth-year wide receiver didn’t do much beyond stretching, jogging and observing, it was almost impossible to leave the field without being encouraged about his chances of coming back early from the torn ACL he suffered in his right knee in the team’s regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears on Jan. 5.
Head coach Matt LaFleur certainly was.
“Christian’s doing outstanding. I would say he’s ahead of schedule,” LaFleur said after practice. “But again, I’m not a doctor. I’m not [on the] medical staff. So we’ll see where he’s at.”
After dealing with persistent hamstring issues during his first two NFL seasons, Watson finally stayed healthy for 15 games last season, missing a Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams with an ankle injury and a Week17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a minor left knee injury — an injury that was going to keep him out of the Bears game the following week before fellow wide receiver Romeo Doubs fell ill and was inactive.
Then he went down against the Bears, ending his season and creating uncertainty heading into the 2025 campaign.
Despite Watson taking part in the pre-practice stretch period with his teammates and walking around without a support brace or a noticeable limp on Wednesday, the timing of his injury means it’ll be an uphill battle for him to be cleared by the Packers’ notoriously cautious medical staff before the midpoint of the regular season.
He’ll almost certainly start training camp on July 23 on the physically unable to perform list, and he’ll probably still be there when the Packers open the 2025 campaign against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on Sept. 7.
Players who start the season on the PUP list must sit out at least the first four games before the team can open a 21-day practice window for them to ramp up their participation and be added to the 53-man roster.
With the Packers having their bye in Week 5, Watson could conceivably sit out the first four games, then aim to return for the team’s Oct. 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field.
The Packers’ next two games are on the road — Oct. 19 game at Arizona and Oct. 26 at Pittsburgh — before home games against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 2 and the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 10.
For such a comeback to happen, Watson would need to avoid any setbacks over the next five months, of course.
But earlier in May, while taking part in a charity walk in the Green Bay suburb of De Pere, Watson wasn’t ruling anything out — especially with the reality that he’s in the final year of his rookie contract and getting back on the field and playing well would boost his earning potential.
“I’ve got a couple more months ahead of me, but I’m attacking it every day. I’m in a really good spot,” said Watson, who finished the 2024 season with 29 receptions for a career-high 620 yards (for a team-leading 21.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.
“I was raised to be a fighter and to chase after the things that I want. I’ve gotten a lot in my life so far, but there’s still a lot of things that I want, so I’m going to keep on fighting for it.”
Health watch | Watson wasn’t alone in being a spectator at Wednesday’s voluntary practice, as multiple fellow starters and key contributors were in attendance but either didn’t participate at all or were held out of 11-on-11 work.
Among those sidelined were linebacker Quay Walker, defensive tackle Kenny Clark, running back MarShawn Lloyd, safety Javon Bullard, and rookie draft picks/defensive linemen Warren Brinson and Collin Oliver.
Starting center Elgton Jenkins was not in attendance as he hopes to rework his existing contract. Cornerback Jaire Alexander also was not there as his situation with the team remains in limbo.
Asked he had any serious concerns about the injuries sidelining the aforementioned players, LaFleur replied, “I don’t really anticipate anything too long term with any of these guys.”
Joint practices, Family Night set | Not only did the Packers announce that camp would indeed begin on July 23, but the team also set Aug. 2 as the date for the annual Family Night practice inside Lambeau Field, and LaFleur confirmed that the Packers will hold joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks this summer.
The Packers will practice with the Colts at their training camp facility at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana, on Aug. 14, two days before the teams meet at Lucas Oil Stadium in a preseason matchup.
And the Seahawks will practice on the Ray Nitschke and Clarke Hinkle practice fields on Aug. 21, two days before the teams face each other at Lambeau Field in the final exhibition game of the summer.