Christian Watson made his long-awaited return to the football field in the Green Bay Packers’ 35-25 road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was his first game action since the 2024 regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears. Considering the severity of his injury, it was reasonable to expect the Packers to be cautious with his workload — especially given the poor field conditions at Acrisure Stadium.
“We’ll be careful with him,” Matt LaFleur said before the game. “Just get to him acclimated. Initially, we’ll be a little more careful with him.”
Watson played 36 snaps — 56% of Green Bay’s offensive plays — and was the only receiver not used on special teams. Still, every time he took the field, he made it count. Whatever LaFleur asked of him, Watson answered.
No. 9 hauled in all four of his targets and averaged 21.3 yards per reception. For someone less than a year removed from a torn ACL, that level of explosiveness is remarkable.
Late in the third quarter, Green Bay faced a third-and-seven from the Pittsburgh 41-yard line. The Packers dialed up three long-developing routes, with Tucker Kraft chipping before releasing. Jordan Love rolled to his right and unleashed a deep shot to Watson, who hauled it in between two defenders to set the Packers up inside the 10-yard line.
Jordan Love goes DEEP to Christian Watson on 3rd down
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It’s no surprise that Kraft had his best game of the season with Watson back on the field. Watson’s presence alone forces defenses to account for him, adding a new layer of complexity to the offense. His ability to stretch the field vertically creates space for underneath routes and opens up more opportunities for the offense to attack.
“Getting Christian back was awesome,” Love said after the game. “Just another explosive player. What we want to be is the most explosive offense in the NFL. We’re just trying to find ways to be as consistent as possible, because we know what type of offense we’re capable of being.
“It just comes down to making plays,” he added. “The first half wasn’t up to our standard, and I think the score reflected that. Some of our drives reflected that. But in the second half, we were able to do that. That’s what we need to be at all times, just trying to be as consistent as possible.”
Watson also had a direct hand in two more touchdowns, both through his blocking. The first came on Kraft’s opening score of the game, when LaFleur called a quick pass to the flat. Lined up outside, Watson put Joey Porter Jr. on skates with a textbook block, clearing the lane for Kraft to reach the end zone.
T as in Touchdown for Tucker Kraft on National Tight Ends Day!
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The second came on the very first play of the fourth quarter when Green Bay had the ball inside the Pittsburgh five-yard line. Love handed it off to Josh Jacobs whilst Watson delivered a crucial block that opened a lane to the outside, allowing Jacobs to dodge a defender, make another one miss, and punch it in for the score. Make no mistake, that touchdown doesn’t happen without Watson’s block.
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Anyone who’s ever heard Matt LaFleur speak candidly about Watson knows just how highly the former second-round pick is valued in the locker room, as a player and a person — and the tape backs it up. This is a guy who gives 100% on every single play.
Last season, he ranked just fourth in targets among Packers receivers. Yet he never complained about the lack of targets. Instead, he spent every game putting on a blocking clinic. That’s the kind of effort you can’t help but admire as a coach, a teammate, and a fan.
“I mean, just to get him back in the fold, you can see just, it’s just his ability to do so many different things,” LaFleur said after Sunday Night Football. “He’s such an intelligent football player. He’s obviously a specimen. It was great to see him get back out there.”
“I know the journey that he’s been on, it’s been a long road,” LaFleur noted. “It was a pretty devastating time when you think back to that game versus Chicago last year and to lose him. He’s such a great team-first-oriented guy. Just always goes out there and competes, does his job. And I’m really excited for him.”
Green Bay wisely extended Watson through the 2026 season. He’s their most explosive playmaker, and the deal gives him a fair opportunity to play a full season while positioning himself for a larger contract. If he stays healthy, he’ll more than earn it, given his value to the Packers — not just as a receiver, but as a complete football player.