Christian Watson’s injury scare could hurt him in more ways than one

The Green Bay Packers were dealt an awful scare on Wednesday afternoon when Christian Watson came into contact with rookie safety Evan Williams on a pass from Jordan Love. Watson knocked knees and spent an extended period of time on the ground before limping off the practice field, which raised natural concerns about his health.

While there was tremendous pain in the moment, Watson appears to have avoided a serious issue. Head coach Matt LaFleur called it a "big-time scare," but said Watson is "doing fine." The talented wideout spoke candidly to reporters. Here's what he told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic:

"I’m glad Jordan took a shot on that one. I tried to go up and get it. I think we just came down a little awkward. I don’t know if it was his knee or his cleat, but something just kinda hit me in the knee. I think it hurt a lot worse in the moment than I thought. I’m just thankful and obviously was praying that it wasn’t too serious, and it wasn’t."

This is great news for Watson and for the Packers, who will lean heavily on Watson's pass-catching chops in Jordan Love's second campaign under center. That said, the extent to which Watson will be featured in the Packers' offense is unclear. He was billed as the WR1 going into training camp, but it appears that the balance of power is shifting in the Green Bay WR room.

Any lingering knee issues, or even the faintest whiff of injury concern after Watson missed eight games last season, could prove consequential. Especially when Watson is facing stiff competition from his peers, namely Romeo Doubs.

Christian Watson losing steam in Packers WR battle

Evidently, Doubs has been lighting up practice. Both Doubs and Watson were part of the 2022 NFL Draft class; the former was a fourth-round pick (No. 132), while the latter went in the second round (No. 34). Oftentimes, a player's draft status will follow him for years. It's part of why Watson has so long been considered a step above Doubs on the depth chart.

As the Packers shift gears into full-blown contention with Jordan Love, however, it's time to separate the real from the fake. Watson isn't necessarily fake — he netted 28 receptions and five touchdowns in nine games last season — but he was certainly the least dependable of Green Bay's upstart receivers. Some of that was beyond his control, but whereas Watson is dependent on size and verticality at 6-foot-4, Doubs (and to a slightly lesser extent, Jayden Reed) are twitchy athletes, creating separation with elusive open-field maneuvers and applying constant pressure on the defense.

One of my favorite basketball terms is "advantage creation," and it translates nicely to the art of receiving. A WR needs to be able to generate space and leverage his physical tools (or mental tools) over the opposing defensive back (and the defense as a whole). Doubs has that ability in spades. He's 6-foot-2 with incredible tools and sharp instincts.

Last season was not the most dominant showcase, but Doubs managed 674 yards and eight touchdowns while working out of various spots in the formation. He's a slippery slot weapon, but he can line up wide and beat his man downfield. Based on the early reports out of camp, he is on track for expanded duties in 2024.

This isn't necessarily the worst development for Watson. The dude should get a healthy volume of targets regardless, as the Packers figure to deploy a by-committee approach in the WR room. It is, however, abundantly clear that Watson's standing has diminished in Green Bay. He's still a major talent and he's still a major cog in the Packers' machine, but he's no longer able to coast on reputation. He needs to earn his reps and his targets from here on out.

Frankly, there is a pretty positive spin here for the Packers fandom. Watson has competition, which means several wideouts are performing in camp. Doubs, Watson, Reed, and even Dontayvion Wicks all displayed appealing traits last season. Green Bay doesn't have the same experience or pedigree in its WR room as other contenders, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Packers are wanting for talent.