The Packers are back in the postseason for the fifth time in six years, but they’ll be without a key playmaker for the entirety of their run.
During its Week 18 meeting with Chicago, Green Bay WR Christian Watson suffered a non-contact injury that looks to be season-ending, per multiple reports. The prognosis of Watson’s injury was announced just one day after the Packers’ last-second loss to their vaunted rival.
As Green Bay gears up for a trip to Philadelphia for a wild card matchup, here is everything to know about Watson’s injury and what it means for his team.
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Christian Watson injury update
Watson “is believed” to have suffered a torn ACL with additional structural damage to his knee, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. This diagnosis means Watson will not be available for the playoffs and threatens his availability for the beginning of the 2025 regular season.
Watson suffered the injury early in the second quarter of Green Bay’s Week 18 game on Sunday, Jan. 5. As he began his route, Watson suffered a non-contact injury while planting his foot and immediately fell to the ground.
Christian Watson’s non-contact injury. you know it’s bad when multiple Bears defenders signaled for the trainer, then checked on him pic.twitter.com/WvFiOnNIOc
— Christian D’Andrea (@TrainIsland) January 5, 2025
After players on the field signaled for trainers to assist with Watson, he was taken off the field on an injury cart.
Watson appeared in 15 of 17 regular-season games during the 2024 season, catching 29 passes for a career-high 620 yards, though his two receiving touchdowns are a career low. He also had four carries for 23 rushing yards.
The tough task of getting a win in Philadelphia just got tougher for the Packers, who are also navigating nagging injuries to quarterback Jordan Love. Green Bay has a talented room of pass catchers, but Watson’s injury takes away an important dynamic, especially considering his role as a deep threat.
This story will be updated.
Packers WR depth chart
Watson had the second-most receiving yards among Packers wide receivers this season. He is one of six WRs on the team’s active roster, though that number will likely change after roster moves corresponding to the injury.
| Rank | Player | 2024 rec. yards |
| 1. | Jayden Reed | 859 |
| 2. | Romeo Doubs | 601 |
| 3. | Dontayvion Wicks | 415 |
| 4. | Malik Heath | 97 |
| 5. | Bo Melton | 91 |
| Practice squad | Julian Hicks | — |
| Practice squad | Cornelius Johnson | — |
| Practice squad | Alex McGough | — |
With Watson down, expect even more action for TE Tucker Kraft and RB Josh Jacobs, who has also proven to be an effective pass-catcher out of the backfield. Kraft caught 50 passes for 707 yards in 2024 while Jacobs had 36 catches for 342 yards.
None of the three WRs on Green Bay’s practice squad have taken a snap in an NFL game but Hicks, an undrafted rookie from Albany, did have one catch for 23 yards during the preseason.
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