Thanks to the timing of the early bye week, Green Bay Packers fans haven't had much to feel good about for nearly a month. Life in the NFL comes at you quick.
Thankfully, the wait for a good feeling is nearly over, with the Packers set to take on the spiraling Cincinnati Bengals, who desperately traded for Joe Flacco this week and intend to start him.
But even with that good news floating on the horizon, a bit further off in the distance is the return of wide receiver Christian Watson to the lineup. Should Green Bay get back to its winning ways ahead of his return, it only makes his 2025 debut more exciting.
The timing of Christian Watson's return is perfect for the Packers
Watson recently returned to practice after he tore his ACL back in January. He's wildly ahead of schedule in his return bid, but now that he's back on the practice field, he should be catching passes from Jordan Love once again within the next three weeks.
Considering that Jayden Reed is on injured reserve with a broken collarbone and rookie wideout Matthew Golden has come on a bit slower than hoped, Watson's return to the lineup should prove to be monumental for the Packers' offense.
Despite the deep pool of talent and potential in the Packers' receiving room and the effectiveness of the league's 11th-ranked passing offense, the wideouts aren't exactly lighting up the stat sheet. Only two receivers have more targets than Josh Jacobs, and none have more than tight end Tucker Kraft heading into Week 6.
While Romeo Doubs has certainly stepped up to fill the WR1 role, he only exceeds Kraft's production in two meaningful stats: first downs and touchdowns.
But, with Watson soon to be back in the fold, the offense should expect to open up more opportunities in the passing game for everyone, including Doubs and Golden. Watson likely won't eat up a ton of targets himself, especially early in his return, but he does draw respect from the defense.
So far in his career, Watson hasn't exactly been a game-changer. In 15 games last season, he had 29 catches and two scores. But he does pose a threat to opposing defenses, assuming he returns at a comparable level to when he went down.
So long as that is the case, Watson's return could be just the boost the Packers' offense needs to reach its lofty goals for the 2025 season.