The Green Bay Packers are as down in the dumps as humanly possible after a Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos, as superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons is all but confirmed to have suffered a torn ACL. To make matters worse, wide receiver Christian Watson also went down with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.
While losing Watson in tandem with Parsons would have been enough for Mike LaFleur to sound the alarm, the latest injury updates provided a rare bit of good news for Green Bay. Watson seems to have avoided any sort of long-term ailment.
Watson did not suffer a major injury in the loss to Denver, which is a small silver lining on an otherwise very grim day for Green Bay. It doesn't seem like Watson, fresh off recovering from an injury that sidelined him for most of 2025, is going to miss a good chunk of time.
Packers WR Christian Watson avoids serious injury after Week 15 shoulder problem
Watson caught 28 passes for 481 yards and five touchdowns in his first eight games of the season, which would put him on pace to set a new personal best in receiving yards per game. With Jayden Reed only recently returning following a collarbone injury, Watson has provided a huge lift for the Packers' passing offense.
Watson's verticality is sorely needed in Green Bay's offensive attack, especially with rookie Matthew Golden needing more developmental time than many expected. It's hard to imagine Golden stepping into Watson's role in the offense and the Packers not missing a beat in the postseason.
With Parsons, one of only a handful of truly game-breaking players on the Packers' defense, all but assuredly out for the season, LaFleur and the Packers will likely need to win a bunch of aerial shootouts. The lack of a pass rush will be a problem that Green Bay can only overcome with more offensive fireworks.
Watson's health has been a major topic of discussion this season, which makes the fact he appears to be relatively fine after a scary-looking play should help brighten the mood just a tad.