Thursday Night Football can turn scary in a hurry. Packers fans felt it again at Lambeau Field when one deep ball ended with two players down on the grass.
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Packers wide receiver Christian Watson, 27, was taken to a local hospital with a chest injury after a hard collision with Panthers rookie cornerback Will Lee III in the second quarter of Thursday Night Football at Lambeau Field. Watson had just come down with a 53-yard catch with 9:19 remaining in the first half when both players went to the turf.
Amazon Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung reported that Watson was “taken to the hospital with a chest injury for precautionary reasons.”
The Packers first announced that Watson was “questionable to return with a chest injury,” but the hospital trip made it clear his night was done. Prime Video’s cameras later showed Watson getting into an ambulance.
Watson went up for a contested catch against Lee, who was in coverage, and came down hard on his front. As NFL insider Ari Meirov put it, Jordan Love “dropped a moon ball in the bucket for Christian Watson.”
Watson needed help from the trainers, then walked off under his own power toward the medical tent. Lee, who went down holding his left leg, was carted to the locker room. The Panthers later ruled him doubtful to return with a hamstring injury.
Lee had a rough start to his night, too, drawing a pass interference flag on third-and-11 earlier that gave Green Bay a first down.
Carolina was already without pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and its top offensive lineman, and Lee’s injury hits a cornerback group that was already thin.
Watson was having a big night before it, with six catches for 100 yards on seven targets, even after Panthers safety Nick Scott punched the ball out of his hands for a takeaway.
Both teams came in looking for a bounce back. Green Bay (4-3) lost 20-17 to the Lions on a last-play field goal, while Carolina (3-3) was beaten 43-13 by Tampa Bay.
It was already a messy night for Green Bay as returner Coleman Owen fumbled the opening kickoff, Carolina settled for a 39-yard field goal, and after Love found tight end Tucker Kraft for a touchdown, rookie kicker Trey Smack missed the extra point. Carolina led 10-6 with about nine minutes left in the second quarter when the injury happened.
Packers fans have seen this movie before, and it never gets easier to sit through.
Why Losing Christian Watson Would Rock the Packers’ Passing Game
Watson entered Thursday as Green Bay’s leading receiver with 595 yards and six touchdowns, which put him sixth in the NFL in receiving yards. He was also tied for fifth in the league with 15 explosive plays.
That matters because the Packers throw more than anyone. They entered the night passing on 66.9 percent of their plays, the highest rate in the league.
Green Bay also came in averaging just 20.6 points per game, so there was little margin to lose its top receiver.
Matthew Golden, the No. 2 receiver and tenth in the NFL in receiving yards, was already listed as questionable with a shoulder and foot issue after missing practice, though the Packers expected him to suit up. Coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this week, “We’re still kind of working through it.” Savion Williams, Bo Melton and J. Michael Sturdivant are next in line.
Watson has been through a scare like this before. He scored five touchdowns in his first seven games back from a torn ACL. Last December, he was taken to a hospital after getting hurt in a loss to the Broncos, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that testing showed nothing that would require an extended absence. He played the next week again.
LaFleur said that night felt like a double whammy because edge rusher Micah Parsons was also out for the season with a torn ACL. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said last December, “It’s got to be over 20 yards a catch, though; it’s pretty impressive.”
Could this one end the same way?
Green Bay won’t have the full picture until Watson’s test results come back, and the team has not offered a timeline. Last December, the news turned out better than anyone feared.