The Packers could be without wide receiver Christian Watson for a couple of weeks. The third-year wideout was carted off the field in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, and according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the early belief is that he suffered a high-ankle sprain.
Watson’s biggest season came as a second-round rookie with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. A season after the Packers traded away Davante Adams, Rodgers had one of his worst campaigns with the team while throwing to Watson, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs and Randall Cobb. Watson led the team with seven receiving touchdowns while finishing second on the team with 611 receiving yards that year.
Once Jordan Love took over as quarterback, Watson’s role in the offense began to wane. In his second year, he caught only 28 of his 53 targets, finishing fourth on the team with 422 receiving yards while adding five touchdowns. So far this year, Watson has continued in that WR3/4 role, reeling in five passes for 80 yards and a score.
Despite some change in running back personnel, the Packers return much of the same offense from last year’s playoff crew. If Watson misses time, Love will still have Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks as his top-three wideouts. In Watson’s absence, Green Bay would need Bo Melton to step into the WR4 role.
High-ankle sprains have been common so far this season with varying results. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 1 and though he’s missed a couple plays, he hasn’t missed any starts following the injury. The Falcons placed center Drew Dalman on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, forcing him out for at least four contests. Lastly, Cowboys’ star defender Micah Parsons is expected to be out 2-4 weeks with the same ailment.
It seems to be dependent on the severity and the individual, but there’s certainly a chance that Watson could miss multiple games. The 25-year-old will undergo some tests Monday to gain more clarity on his injury.
