Key Packers WR dodges serious injury after 'fearing the worst'

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson suffered what looked to be a serious ankle injury during the team's Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He then sat out the team's Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

The third-year wide receiver has since returned to practice, working as a limited participant on Wednesday.

Watson is feeling thankful after initially thinking his 2024 season was over.

"I was definitely fearing the worst," Watson said , via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "It was an awkward position for me to be in. I felt my leg going the wrong way. I've seen stuff like that happen before, and it's been pretty significant injuries. Obviously, the pain alongside it, it was definitely scary in the moment. I was just hoping and praying for the best, and obviously dodged a bullet."

When Watson will return to playing in stadium remains to be seen, but it's still very good news, nonetheless. The second-round pick in 2022 has been a difference-maker for the Packers when on the field, registering 74 catches for 1,113 yards and 13 touchdowns in 27 games.

Watson isn't rushing his return, though.

"It's still something," Watson added. "So working through that, but definitely dodged a bullet with how bad it could've been."

Green Bay is hoping that time comes sooner rather than later after recording its second-lowest point total of the season (24) against the Rams. The Packers still won the game, but having a player who can stretch the field like Watson is valuable. He ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2022.

Luckily for Watson, the Packers haven't ruled him out of playing in the team's Week 6 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (2-3).

"I try to look at the positives of everything," Watson continued. "I think maybe all the training I put into getting my body right for the season is the reason I came out of it with not as bad of an injury, not as significant of an injury. So that's really just how I look at it, but if I'm able to go out and play this week and only miss one game, I feel like that's a positive from the whole situation, for sure."

If that's the case, the Packers will get a boost to their offense, which is already averaging the fourth-most total yards per game (392.6) and eighth-most points per game (25.6) in the league.