Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Christian Watson will miss some time during training camp while he recovers from a surgery completed following the offseason workout program.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Watson had a “minor knee surgery” in June.
The new information helps fill in the gaps. The Packers placed Watson on the PUP list to start training camp, and general manager Brian Gutekunst said Wednesday that the team picked addressing the injury after OTAs over waiting until after the 2022 season.
Although Watson will miss precious reps with Aaron Rodgers and the offense to open training camp, the Packers aren’t expecting him to miss a significant portion of camp, and fixing the injury now certainly beats having Watson fight through a lingering issue throughout his rookie season.
The exact injury and type of surgery completed are unknown.
Watson didn’t participate but was with the team for Wednesday’s practice, the first of training camp. He had a black wrap around his right leg.
Gutekunst said the Packers took the long-term approach and wanted to protect Watson, the 34th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
In terms of timetables, Gutekunst said Watson will return “as soon as he’s ready.”
Watson’s best attribute entering the NFL might be his elite athleticism, so anything limiting his ability to run and jump would provide a significant hurdle to him providing impact as a first-year player. The Packers are sacrificing practice time now in hopes of having Watson somewhere close to 100 percent healthy for the regular season.
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