GREEN BAY — It's not unnatural for the Green Bay Packers to err on the side of caution with how they handle the return of a big-play wideout whose speed is his greatest asset. Especially coming off a devastating knee injury.
But after wasting little time closing the door on Christian Watson's availability for last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Matt LaFleur is leaving it cracked just enough to garner some optimism. There's a chance that Watson, who has practiced in a limited capacity all week, will play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
"We'll see," he said. "We'll see how he gets through today."
The Packers may want to run Watson through some strenuous tests to ensure that his surgically repaired knee can withstand the pressure of a full, 60-minute contest. Because regular-season practices are closed to the public and media, there's no indication whether or not Watson has been participating in 11-on-11 sessions. However, if he's as close to returning as LaFleur appears to be hinting at, it's hard to imagine he'll be thrown into live action without checking team drills off the rehab list.
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The 26-year-old Watson returned to practice on Oct. 6 for the first time since sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament in last year's regular-season finale. Upon practicing, the Packers opened the 21-day window where they'll have to activate him to the 53-man roster—they'll have until Oct. 27 to make that determination.
After facing the Cardinals on Sunday, they'll travel to Pittsburgh for a primetime bout with Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers on Oct. 26.
Watson being back in the mix—even if he isn't operating at full speed quite yet or if the coaching staff keeps him on a pitch count for now—would dramatically alter the complexion of the Packers' offense. Watson has shown that, even when he isn't getting the ball, his presence alone is enough to draw the attention of opposing defenders and create opportunities elsewhere in the passing game.
In the meantime, Jordan Love will continue to rely on a receiving corps with no true No. 1—at least not yet. Romeo Doubs has certainly made a case, especially after his three-touchdown performance against the Dallas Cowboys last month. Matthew Golden is expected to ultimately blossom into that top-tier threat, but he's a rookie, and as a rookie, he's going to endure the typical ebbs and flows that come with maturing on the job. The 102 yards from scrimmage—including three receptions for 86 yards—that he registered in the win over the Bengals was an encouraging sign.
In recent years under LaFleur, the Packers have strayed away from anointing a No. 1 receiver. The passing game doesn't run through one particular set of hands but rather a smorgasbord of different candidates each week—whether that's the right or wrong approach is a debate for another day.
Through five games this season, five different offensive players have seen 10 or more targets and all five have more than 120 receiving yards. A sixth player in Jayden Reed may have even been included in that had it not been for the shoulder injury he sustained on Sept. 11 against the Washington Commanders. He's on injured reserve and is expected to miss a chunk of the regular season.
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com