Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a season-ending ACL tear last season, keeping him out for the first six weeks of the 2025 season. The Packers have been eagerly awaiting his return, and there’s a chance it could happen in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals. Here’s everything to know about his status and return timeline.
Is Christian Watson Playing in Week 7?
While Watson was sidelined again in Week 6 for Green Bay’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, there was good news for the wide receiver last week. He returned to practice for the first time in 2025, suggesting he could make his season debut soon. Coming off an ACL tear in January, the Packers have been cautious with Watson’s return.
Ahead of Week 6, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said that while Watson wouldn’t play against the Bengals, he has looked good in his limited practice reps.
“No, he won’t play this week,” LaFleur said. “But he has looked pretty damn good. So, I’m excited for when that day comes, and he’s definitely going to add an element to our offense.”
LaFleur suggested Watson’s return was approaching before Week 6, so there’s a real chance he could be in the lineup for Green Bay’s Week 7 game against the Cardinals on October 19.
However, Watson was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. As of now, there is no guarantee that he will make his season debut this week.
Watson adds an explosive element to Green Bay’s offense. He’s an elite deep threat with the speed and ability to beat defenses over the top consistently. Even without him this season, the Packers’ offense has been strong, ranking 8th in the league according to PFSN’s OFFi metric.
Adding Watson back would only boost that number. In 2024, the young receiver caught 29 passes for 620 yards and two touchdowns, averaging an impressive 21.4 yards per catch and ranking 34th among NFL wideouts in PFSN’s WRi metric.
Now that Watson is nearly fully recovered from his ACL tear, quarterback Jordan Love, already ranked as the league’s fourth-best quarterback in 2025 according to PFSN’s QBi metric, is on the verge of getting one of his top targets back.
While it’s not confirmed that Watson will play in Week 7, it appears to be trending in that direction. His status against the Cardinals largely depends on how he performs in practice this week. Given how LaFleur felt about his Week 6 practice, Watson likely could play on Sunday.
Watson is a special player, and the Packers are performing at a high level without him, so they can afford not to rush his return. However, based on everything LaFleur has said, the star receiver sounds ready to return to the field.
