The wait for Christian Watson's return isn't over just yet. On Friday, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur ruled out his star wide receiver for their Week 6 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But that's not the part of LaFleur's quote we should pay attention to. It's not surprising that Watson will sit out of this game, but packaged in LaFleur's quote is an update that should put the league on notice.
"He won't play this week but he has looked pretty damn good. I'm excited for when that day comes," said LaFleur. "He's definitely going to add an element to our offense."
Matt LaFleur says Christian Watson looks 'pretty damn good' with Packers return nearing
The real story isn't that Watson won't play on Sunday. We expected that. It's that he is closing in on his return and is passing every test put in front of him.
It backs up Watson's comments from earlier this week that he feels "100 percent." The Packers will take a smart approach, but he is almost ready to roll.
LaFleur likes to keep his cards close to his chest during press conferences, and he wouldn't reveal the likelihood of Watson returning a week from now. But that little nugget after revealing his game status gave us a peek behind the curtain.
"He looks great. It's been awesome seeing him out there running. He looks fast. He's chomping at the bit to get out there," said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.
The Packers won't rush Watson back too soon, and let's be honest, they shouldn't need him to get back an ailing Bengals team. Micah Parsons issued a warning that the defense "should punish" the Bengals this week, and he's right. It's an ideal matchup to have Watson sit.
But LaFleur's excitement to get his star wide receiver back is justified. Talent has never been the issue for Watson. When he's healthy, everything changes for this offense.
It's not just the game-changing speed and athleticism that few can replicate. That alone terrifies defenses. But Watson is also comfortably the Packers' best receiver against man coverage.
According to Pro Football Focus, Watson averaged 3.34 yards per route run versus man coverage last season, ranking sixth in the NFL among qualifying wide receivers. The next best Packer was Romeo Doubs, who averaged 1.65 yards per route run, ranking 54th.
Through five weeks this season, Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks rank 25th and 32nd, respectively. The receivers have improved in this category, but Watson is a true man-coverage destroyer and can flip the script for this passing game.
Watson changes games when the ball is in his hands. He changes games when it's not.
The return isn't coming this week, but that's not the real story here. Watson feels 100 percent, and the coaches confirmed that he looks great. Even if it's not this week, his return is imminent.
That's a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.