Christian Watson looks like a new man in his return from a torn ACL

Today is the 325th day since Christian Watson tore his ACL.

I’ll be the first to admit I was among the doubters. Seeing Watson crumpled on the Lambeau Field turf, I thought the great experiment was at an end. Watson, the small-school prospect on whom the Packers had spent two second round picks, had been an exciting force during his first three years with the team, capable of blazing past any and all defenders with his mind-boggling speed. True, he’d struggled with injuries and inconsistency, but in year three he’d settled into a small but consistent role, putting up a career high 620 yards on just 29 receptions. He’d been fairly healthy that year, too, playing in 15 of the Packers’ 17 regular season games. Watson was making steps to becoming the player the Packers believed he could be.

But when he stumbled and fell and immediately grabbed for his knee, it seemed like those steps were all in vain. Given the timing of his injury, it seemed like his entire 2025 season was likely in jeopardy, especially considering the loss of speed that usually accompanies an ACL injury. How could Watson possibly get back to form in time to contribute for 2025? And how would it affect his pending free agency after the 2025 season?

The Packers resolved the latter question on their own, inking Watson to a one-year extension in September. Watson has resoundingly answered the former with his play.

In five games back from injury, Watson has racked up 17 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns — a full-season pace of 57 catches for 962 yards and six touchdowns. This is most consistently strong five-game stretch we’ve seen from Watson since he went nuclear as a rookie in 2022, and it might be even better than that because of what we’ve seen from him that we didn’t get back then.

Watson has improved two important areas of his game: contested catches and route running.

The contested catches are obvious — look no further than his two scores against the New York Giants. Both were contested, and Watson showed strong hands and good ball tracking on both, coming down with a touchdown both times for his trouble. According to Pro Football Focus, Watson has caught 66.7% of his contested targets so far this year, well above his career average of 57.9%

His route running is a more subtle change, but it’s no less important. The best description of Watson’s improved ability here might be this: he’s learned to play slow.

Anyone with great speed can be a one-trick pony deep threat in the NFL. And as far as tricks go, that’s a pretty good one! Speed is the NFL’s ultimate cheat code, and Watson has always had plenty. He still does, but he’s shown a new ability to throttle down and make clean, crisp breaks. Watson showcased this ability time and time again against the Vikings, coming up big for the Packers throughout the day on out-breaking routes.

Twice Watson ran tidy routes to the sideline on third downs, converting both catches to keep the chains moving. The first third down catch led directly to points for the Packers, giving them an early 7-0 lead over the Vikings. That kind of performance may not show up in the box score in a big way, but it’s a crucial step in Watson’s ongoing growth as a receiver.

Looking back at Watson’s injury, it’s easy to wonder what Watson himself felt in that moment. He was visibly emotional as he left the field that way, and why wouldn’t he be? All he’d worked toward could have gone up in smoke in a moment. But Watson has come back from his injury better than ever, and his ongoing improvement could unlock even more for the Packers as he continues to refine his game.