Injury issues have afflicted much of Christian Watson’s career, and the Green Bay Packers wideout appeared to suffer another injury on Sunday. What happened to Watson in Week 4, and what’s his current injury status?
What Happened to Packers WR Christian Watson in Week 4?
Watson’s left leg was stuck underneath a Minnesota Vikings defender on a late-first-quarter interception by Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
While Watson left the field on his own, he was limping as he went to the blue medical tent along Green Bay’s sideline. After a short evaluation, Watson took a cart back to the Packers’ locker room.
Packers WR Christian Watson suffered an injury on this play.
Green Bay’s leading receiver from a week ago was carted off the field.pic.twitter.com/K6XtsWZgVh
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 29, 2024
Green Bay initially announced Watson was questionable to return with an ankle injury. However, the Packers officially ruled him out at the start of the third quarter.
“I have talked to Christian, and he told me it thought it was just a sprain,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in his postgame news conference.
Watson is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, reports Jordan Schultz of The Score. High-ankle sprains are typically viewed as four-to-six-week injuries.
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Watson hauled in three catches for 13 yards and a touchdown in the Packers’ season opener and two more passes for 67 yards in Week 3.
Watson, a 2022 second-round pick, missed three games in his rookie campaign after injuring his hamstring. More hamstring issues and a knee bruise cost him eight weeks in 2023.
Fantasy Implications of Watson’s Injury
Green Bay played 11 personnel on 67.7% of its offensive plays through the first three weeks of the season, the NFL’s eighth-highest rate. LaFleur has leaned into three-WR personnel, even with the Packers implementing a run-heavy game plan in two games with QB2 Malik Willis under center.
If Watson misses time, Dontayvion Wicks would be in a position to see more opportunities. He’s fourth in routes (38) among Green Bay’s WRs through three games, but he’s been getting looks when on the field.
Wicks’ 23.7% targets per route run rate is tied with Jayden Reed for No. 1 among the Packers’ wideouts.
In 2023, Wicks was one of five rookie wide receivers to post at least two yards per route run, along with Puka Nacua, Rashee Rice, Tank Dell, and Reed.
While Wicks played fewer than 50% of Green Bay’s snaps and only caught 39 passes, the fifth-round selection made them count. He finished seventh league-wide in expected points added per target (0.52), ranking in the same ballpark as All-Pros like George Kittle (0.58) and CeeDee Lamb (0.54).