Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL in the final week of the 2024 regular season, putting his 2025 availability in jeopardy. It is still early in the offseason, but head coach Matt LaFleur does not expect the veteran receiver to return any earlier than his initial projected timeline.

After the team's final day of mandatory minicamp, LaFleur was peppered with questions about the Packers' offense. One reporter asked if he thought Watson would be ready to go early in the season, a notion the 45-year-old coach quickly shut down.

“Probably not, to be honest,” LaFleur said. “It is what it is. The guys that are available, that's who you coach and that's kind of where you focus.”

Despite the honest but disappointing response, LaFleur noted how happy he is with Watson's current rehab. He added a typical, mundane thought about how “excited” he is to watch his wideout's recovery process.

“It is exciting to see how far along he is. He's been doing a great job; he attacks it the right way. Our trainers have done an outstanding job with him. I think he's in the best spot possible considering the circumstance. He will give us a boost whenever he comes back.”

Packers' growing receiver room threatens Christian Watson

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Once Watson returns to the field, he will be put in a peculiar position. Once viewed as the potential leader of the Packers' receiving corps, Watson is now in danger of getting phased out of the rotation.

Green Bay entered the 2025 offseason with a clear need for receivers and responded accordingly in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Packers took Matthew Golden in the first round, before doubling up with Savion Williams on Day Two. The picks were ideal additions to their offensive roster, but added more competition to an already full position.

In addition to Golden and Williams, Watson has to compete for snaps with Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Mecole Hardman and Bo Melton. Watson is coming off a career-high 620 yards in 2024, but has yet to reach his initial expectations. The oft-injured wideout can be dynamic when he is on the field, but has spent more weeks on the injury report than not.