The Green Bay Packers will visit the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, and it will be an opportunity for them to win just their second game since Week 2 and their first road contest of the season.
The optimism that was so rampant about their chances of doing something special this season dissipated to a significant degree after they blew a late 10-0 lead and lost to the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 and then tied the Dallas Cowboys 40-all the following Sunday. Their defense, which looked so airtight to start the season, now appears to have some issues despite the arrival of superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The Packers have been waiting on wide receiver Christian Watson to return from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 18 of last season. On Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported that head coach Matt LaFleur was optimistic about Watson being able to return this weekend.
Unfortunately, the team ruled Watson out for Week 7 on Friday. In addition, wideout Dontayvion Wicks, offensive lineman Zach Tom and star running back Josh Jacobs are listed as questionable.
If the Packers lack one thing that they will need in order to have a serious shot at winning their fifth Super Bowl championship, it is a legitimate Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver. Watson could still have a chance of developing into a key playmaker after recording 29 catches and 620 receiving yards last season.
His 21.4 yards per reception would’ve ranked second in the NFL last season had he caught enough passes to qualify for the official leaderboard in that category.
In general, the outlook for Green Bay remains very bright. Parsons has a decent 2.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits through five games, and his presence has allowed defensive lineman Rashan Gary to register 4.5 sacks and four tackles for loss so far this year.
On the other side of the football, quarterback Jordan Love is looking like a near-elite player with 1,259 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and a 70.1% completion rate. Third-year tight end Tucker Kraft seems to be putting forth a career-best effort with 18 catches, 268 receiving yards and three touchdowns so far in 2025.
The Packers are a team that has come up in trade rumors lately. Adding one more significant piece for the right price could allow them to get hot down the stretch of the season, especially if that piece is a potent wide receiver.
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