With the Green Bay Packers set to play the Chicago Bears in three days in the Windy City, fans are wondering whether or not veteran wide receiver Christian Watson will play after suffering a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
On Tuesday afternoon, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur gave a not-so-encouraging update on Watson. LaFleur said that Watson’s injury is related to his chest and shoulder, and that would give him until gametime before making an official decision.
However, on Wednesday, LaFleur shed more light on Watson’s status and provided a glimmer of hope heading into Saturday night’s game.
According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur said Watson is “fighting to play,” while adding that he’s expected to practice in a limited fashion. The Packers’ head coach also said via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, “He’s improving. We’ll just see how he’s feeling out there.”
Packers Still Don’t Have Christian Watson Clarity for Week 16
Watson was listed on the Packers’ initial report as a DNP on Tuesday, so the fact that he’ll be limited is a step in the right direction. However, it's still not set in stone that he will play against the Bears. Guys can log limited or even full practices and not suit up, so there's plenty of uncertainty still hanging over this situation.
If you’re the Packers, you have to be very careful with Watson, as you can’t afford for him to do any additional damage to this current injury. If he can tolerate the pain and do most things on the field, then throw him out there.
However, if that’s not the case, then you have to sit him and hope that the trio of Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden can fill the void.
Meanwhile, the Bears will have to create a couple of different gameplans due to the uncertainty surrounding Watson. In their first meeting a couple of weeks ago, Watson had four receptions (four targets) for 89 yards and two TDs.
If he’s on the field, the Bears’ defense will not only have to try to keep Watson in front of them on underneath and immediate routes, but also on deep threats as he has the speed to stretch the field.
But in the case that he doesn’t play, it takes away one less explosive option for Green Bay, but the Bears should not sleep on Reed in the slot, or Golden, who played well in last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos – three receptions (four targets) for 55 yards.
As we inch closer to kickoff, it will be interesting to see Watson’s final injury designation and if he ultimately plays on Saturday night in a pivotal matchup for both teams.