The Green Bay Packers are headed to playoffs, but they'll be without standout wide receiver Christian Watson for the rest of their run.
Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Monday that Watson is out of the season with a torn ACL, a non-contact injury suffered during Green Bay's 24–22 loss to the Chicago Bears. Not only will Watson miss the team's postseason, but the injury also creates some uncertainty for the 2025 season, at which point he'll be in the final year of his rookie contract.
"It's a big-time loss," LaFleur said during a press conference on Monday. "Just his presence on the field alone. He's so versatile in his ability to play multiple positions. ... I hurt for him, obviously for our team, but more for him. Just because I know how much he's put into this thing."
As for Watson's recovery, though, LaFleur is feeling optimistic about the wideout's chances of making a full comeback.
"I know he'll attack it the right way," the coach said. "He'll handle the adversity. It'll be a bump in the road for him and I think he'll come back better. That's just how he is built. It's how he's wired. I think there will be good, just be down the road."
This isn't the first time Watson has been sidelined due to injury. He was inactive against the Minnesota Vikings after suffering a bone bruise in his knee the game before, and spent his initial two years on the team dealing with hamstring issues.
The Watson-less Packers will now travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wild-card round Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Packers' Matt LaFleur is Optimistic About Christian Watson's Recovery From Torn ACL.
