Christian Watson’s NFL career has been plagued more by rehab timelines than route trees. After entering the league with breakout expectations, the Green Bay wideout has struggled to stay on the field long enough to fulfill them. Watson suffered an ACL tear in Week 18 of the 2024 season against the Chicago Bears. An injury that sparked immediate concern across the franchise. Recovery from such a setback often takes close to a year, and for a player entering the final season of his rookie contract, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

Just days ago, early whispers suggested Watson was ahead of schedule in rehab and could return earlier than anticipated. But now, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has delivered a brutal reality check. Despite initial optimism, Watson’s recovery has hit a snag. Watson’s continued absence throws a wrench into the Packers’ offensive plans and puts his long-term role with the team in serious doubt.

In the latest episode of the Pack-A-Day Podcast featuring Andy Herman and Ross Uglem, the conversation got real about Christian Watson’s odds of returning early. Uglem didn’t sugarcoat the ambiguity around the timeline but laid out two very different possibilities. “So I think you really need to focus on two things. I have convinced myself now — and whether that’s healthy or not — I have convinced myself that the new timeline is as soon as he’s eligible to come off the PUP,” Uglem said. That would mean Watson misses at least the first six weeks of the season. A setback, sure. But not a season-ender. However, there’s also the slim chance of something special, “freak show avenue” as Uglem called it where Watson shocks everyone by being ready in Week 1 or 2.

The catch? That would require Watson not only to look good in rehab but also to blow the coaching staff away at camp. In other words, if the Packers decide to keep him on the PUP list past August, he may not return until mid-to-late October. But if his early progress continues, the staff might not wait that long. That duality—a Week 1 surprise or a Halloween return is what makes this situation so volatile. Watson’s recovery may be physically ahead of schedule, but whether the team takes the gamble remains to be seen.

Peter Bukowski of Locked On Packers echoed the cautious optimism but made his case a bit louder. Referencing Bryan Bulaga’s speedy ACL return years ago, Bukowski said Watson might just follow the same trajectory. “I don’t think it’s crazy for him to be back early in the season,” he said in a recent YouTube short. He even called the narrative “just juicy, deliciously ironic,” alluding to the idea that the oft-injured Watson might come back ahead of schedule for once. But now, with the latest update, that momentum has taken a serious hit.

Packers weigh options as Watson’s recovery timetable stretches on

Even with his rehab far from complete, Christian Watson had visible involvement during OTAs and minicamp, participating in stretch sessions with the team despite being held out of individual and full-team drills. That alone marked a level of progress that head coach Matt LaFleur took note of. Watson’s presence, even limited, gave fans hope that his return was trending in the right direction. But what remains missing is that signature explosiveness the Packers had come to count on. And it’s that absence, more than anything, that’s now forcing Green Bay to reevaluate its wide receiver depth chart.

Peter Bukowski pointed out that while the team did add promising rookie Matthew Golden, it’s impossible to replicate Watson’s gravitational pull on a defense. “For whatever you think of Christian Watson, watch the tape and you will see a player that affects defenses,” Bukowski said. “There are so many plays where his deep speed takes two and opens up the middle of the field for someone else… It is Watson’s gravity that makes the play. Even though he doesn’t get the ball. We don’t have any idea if Matthew Golden can actually generate that sort of gravity.” That kind of field-stretching ability is what’s kept Watson in the team’s future plans. And it’s exactly what Golden, or anyone else on the roster, will struggle to mimic.

Still, with Watson’s timeline uncertain, Green Bay isn’t waiting around. According to reports, head coach Matt LaFleur is open to shaking up the depth chart. Names like Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are surfacing in trade chatter. Bukowski believes the writing’s already on the wall for one of them. With LaFleur laser-focused on turning an 11-6 season into a deeper playoff run, the question now isn’t just about who stays. It’s also about when Watson finally comes back and whether his return will be too late to shift the WR dynamics already in motion.