The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Jordan Love lost a major weapon during the team’s 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Star receiver Christian Watson tore his ACL and suffered additional damage to his knee, ending his season and putting the start of the next in doubt, according to NFL Network.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed the news on Monday and said Watson will be out for the rest of the year.
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson, #9, leaves the field in a cart after being injured against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter during their football game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay , Wisconsin. (IMAGE)
Watson, 25, was running a route in the second quarter and then fell to the ground clutching his knee, suffering the injury on a non-contact play.
LaFleur talked about what losing Watson means for the offense.
“Yes, it’s a big loss, just his presence on the field. He’s very versatile in his ability to play multiple positions. You can put him in the X, the F, the Z, you can move him all over the place. “Obviously, he has a element in terms of size and speed that is difficult to replicate. There aren’t many like him in the league and it just hurts me,” LaFleur said in his press conference on Monday.
“Obviously, it hurts for our team, but also more for him, just because I know how much he’s put into this, and like all of our guys, you never want to see that, and it’s an unfortunate part of our game.”
Watson was questionable with a knee injury in Week 18, but LaFleur said the knee he injured in the game was actually the other knee that hadn’t been bothering him.
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson, #9, is treated after being injured during the first quarter of their game on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 24-22. (IMAGE)
LaFleur said he’s confident in how Watson will attack his rehab.
“But like I told him, I know he’s going to attack it the right way, he’s going to handle adversity, it’s just going to be a bump in the road for him and I think he’s going to come back better. That’s how he’s built, how he’s wired, so I think there will be good things, it will just happen in the future,” LaFleur said.
Watson is in his third season after being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State.
This season, Watson had 29 receptions for 620 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. The deep threat ranks second in the NFL in yards per reception average, averaging 21.4 yards per catch.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson, #9, runs with the ball during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field. (Images by Jeff Hanisch-Imagn)
The Packers finished the season 11-6 and are seventh in the NFC. They will face the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the Wild Card Round.
Without Watson, the Packers will rely on wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath to fill in.
The Packers and Eagles will play at 4:30 pm ET on Sunday on FOX.
