Christian Watson made his long-awaited return from an ACL injury in the Green Bay Packers’ Week 8 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, showing little sign of rust with four catches for 85 yards.
But just as Green Bay began preparing for its Week 9 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, Watson surprisingly resurfaced on the injury report. So what happened, and how concerned should Packers fans be heading into Sunday? Let’s break it down.
Will Christian Watson Play in Week 9?
Watson originally suffered an ACL tear in the final game of the 2024 season, landing him on the Physically Unable to Perform list to open 2025. He progressed steadily through rehab, and the Packers officially opened his 21-day practice window on Oct. 6, allowing him to rejoin team activities for the first time since the injury.
Throughout Week 8, Watson was limited in practice but was ultimately cleared to suit up, and he delivered more snaps than expected. However, as Week 9 preparations began, Watson reappeared on the injury report with a knee designation.
The good news for Packers fans is that Watson was limited but not sidelined, and there’s little concern inside the building about his availability for Sunday. Green Bay has been extremely methodical with its ramp-up, carefully managing its workload and building confidence in the surgically repaired knee. Even if he remains limited the rest of the week, he’s trending toward playing.
“I was telling some of the guys, it started hitting me probably toward the end of the game when we kind of sealed the deal,” Watson said. “It kind of hit me. It means a lot to me to be able to play football and be a part of this team. Just knowing how these last nine months went, it meant a lot to me to go out and play.”
Although the Packers didn’t plan a strict snap count for Watson, he still logged 36 snaps (54% of the offensive plays), and head coach Matt LaFleur noted that the team was closely monitoring his workload throughout the game.
“He actually played a little bit more than probably anticipated,” LaFleur said. “But that was something that we were monitoring the whole game.”
LaFleur also praised the wideout’s impact both as a playmaker and in the run game.
“You saw his presence felt not only in the passing game with those explosion plays, but also as a blocker downfield,” LaFleur added. “I mean, he had a heck of a block on Tucker’s, his first touchdown. There was some good stuff in the run game, so he’s just a really valuable piece for us.”
Wednesday’s limited participation appears to be nothing more than workload management. Fans and fantasy managers should expect Watson to be on the field for Week 9 unless there’s an unexpected setback.
