Christian

Watson

Watson remains under contract through 2026, having signed a one-year extension in September 2025. The 26-year-old wide receiver suffered a season-ending ACL tear in 2024 and retook the field for the first time in Week 8, 2025. He impressively averaged a career-high 2.28 yards per route run despite coming off a significant knee injury.

Watson came very close to a second touchdown, but he fumbled into the end zone with the ball being recovered by Green Bay and placed on the one-yard line to set up another score. The product of North Dakota State didn’t have any success in the second half, and the Packers’ second-half collapse keeps the Bears from moving on. Watson’s season line of 35 catches for 611 yards with six touchdowns is more impressive when you consider he didn’t play until the end of October, and the wideout appeared to build up chemistry with Jordan Love towards the end of the campaign; even with a lot of mouths to feed in the Green Bay passing attack. He’s under contract for 2026, and he’ll begin the 2026 campaign in the low-end WR, high-end WR3 conversation.

The Packers are locked in as the No. 7 seed with no ability to move up in the order. Jordan Love missed Week 17 with a concussion and Josh Jacobs has been playing through knee issues for most of the season. Christian Watson recently suffered a chest injury and has been playing through it as well. The list goes on and on for the Packers, as it does for most teams at this point in the season. With nothing to play for in Week 18, expect those three players and several others to get the week off as Green Bay prepares for a Wild Card Round game.

Watson scored on a 39-yard connection with Malik Willis on the Packers’ first drive of the game. The two made a few more connections in the contest in a solid effort where Watson didn’t appear to be bothered by his shoulder or the illness he picked up earlier in the week. Watson and the Packers get a game with essentially zero playoff ramifications against the Vikings in Week 18 to end the regular season.

Watson practiced fully on Tuesday and Wednesday before being downgraded with an illness on Friday. Fortunately, the Packers’ No. 1 wide receiver is good to go. Both the Packers (9-5-1) and Bears (11-4) have secured playoff spots, though the exact seeding has not yet been determined. The Packers declared QB Jordan Love, DL Collin Oliver, OL Zach Tom, WR Savion Williams, DL Nazir Stackhouse and DL Barryn Sorrell inactive for Week 17 against the Ravens. Packers S Evan Williams (knee) is active. As expected, QB Malik Willis (shoulder/illness) gets the start.

How much he will play remains to be seen after the Packers locked up a playoff berth with Detroit’s loss on Christmas. That said, the Packers can still clinch the NFC North with consecutive wins and consecutive losses by the Bears, which is the difference between home and road games to kick off the postseason.

Watson was listed as a non-participant for Thursday’s practice ahead of the Saturday showdown with Baltimore. The wideout would be on the WR3 precipice if he can go, but fantasy managers obviously need to be prepared for a substitute.

Watson played through chest and shoulder listings last week, catching just 2-of-6 targets for 17 yards after logging just two limited practice sessions. He briefly exited the game after colliding with WR Jayden Reed. Watson is seemingly in better health this week. Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) is also practicing fully this week.

Watson briefly left this game with an injury but returned after only a few plays. The Packers’ speedster struggled to get much going in the air, but had a chance to score on the game’s opening drive were it not for a pass being broken up near the Bears’ goal-line. Watson tied for the Packers’ lead with six targets on Saturday, but struggled to produce much with Malik Willis under center for most of the day. Watson will be a boom-or-bust WR3 in Week 17’s game against the Ravens.

Watson missed a few plays with an undisclosed injury after colliding with Jayden Reed earlier in the quarter. He returned to the field on the Packers’ next possession and appears to be good to go.