On Monday Night Football in Week 16, the Packers were at home to face the Saints. Green Bay quickly built a 21-0 lead by halftime and played a dominant four quarters. They beat New Orleans 34-0 and pitched the first shutout of the 2024 season. It was Green Bay’s first shutout since the 2021 season.
On top of that, the Packers clinched a playoff berth for the fifth time in the last six seasons. In that win, WR Christain Watson suffered an injury in the second quarter. A Saints defender landed on his knee and Watson did not return to the game. Head coach Matt LaFleur said there is some “concern” with Watson’s knee injury. The 25-year-old will have more tests done this week.
Christian Watson suffered a knee injury on Monday night vs. the Saints
Matt LaFleur said “there’s some concern there” with Christian Watson, who said after he tried to go back in he “couldn’t play the type of football I wanted to play so we shut it down.”
Jacobs could’ve gone back in but they had planned to rest him a little tonight if possible.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 24, 2024
In the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, the Packers selected WR Christian Watson out of North Dakota State. He’s played in 37 games over three seasons in Green Bay and has made 34 starts. The best season of his career was his rookie campaign when he played in 14 games and made 11 starts. Watson had a career-high 41 catches and seven touchdowns. His 620 receiving yards in 2024 is a new career-high but his overall production is down this season.
Injuries have been something Watson has had to deal with even before his time in the NFL. This season, Watson had started 14 of 15 games for the Packers. He’s missed time in all three of his professional seasons. Watson had a defender land on his knee after he had a 14-yard gain in the second quarter. The former second-round pick exited the game and did not return. Green Bay still has to play the Vikings and Bears to end the 2024 season. We’ll see if Christian Watson plays in those games or if the Packers rest him for the playoffs. The Packers are technically still alive to win the division in 2024 but they’re likely going to be the fifth seed or lower.