The Green Bay Packers are not expected to have rookie receiver Christian Watson available on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Buy Packers TicketsWatson, the 34th overall pick, is dealing with a hamstring injury. He missed practices on Thursday and Friday, complicating the rookie’s path to the field as a young player in need of the on-field preparatory reps.
Watson has five catches on seven targets for 43 yards and one rush for seven yards over 62 snaps and two games to start the 2022 season.
The rookie is averaging 1.19 yards per route run with an average depth of target of just 6.7 yards, per Pro Football Focus. Three of his five catches have come behind the line of scrimmage. He dropped what would have been a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of scrimmage in Week 1 and hasn’t been targeted on a throw over 20 yards since.
Still, the Packers will miss Watson’s elite speed, both as a vertical threat and horizontally as a jet-motion decoy.
If Watson can’t go, the Packers would have to lean more on rookie Romeo Doubs as one of the offense’s top three receivers. Sammy Watkins, who also has a hamstring injury, was placed on injured reserve on Saturday.
Slot receiver Randall Cobb (illness) is expected to play. Inactives are due 90 minutes before kickoff, so playing statuses for Watson and Cobb will be cemented by around 2:00 p.m. CT on Sunday.
Watson, who missed time during training camp while recovering from a knee surgery, could return next week against the New England Patriots.
