Packers receiver Christian Watson was taken to a hospital with a chest injury during Thursday night's game against the Panthers. Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams reported that Will Lee hurt his hamstring on the same play. The injury came on a 53-yard reception. The Packers ruled Watson out of the game.
SB Nation's Mark Schofield wrote that Jordan Love connected with Watson on the 53-yarder in the first half at Lambeau Field. Watson then stayed down for an extended period and was taken to the blue medical tent. Acme Packing Company's Justis Mosqueda reported that Watson walked off under his own power, and that it didn't look like he would return. The outlets differ on how he left. Yahoo Sports' Jason Owens wrote that he left in an ambulance, and a Reddit highlight clip shows him getting into one. Acme Packing Company did not mention an ambulance.
A post on r/nfl cited Adam Pelissero, via the Prime broadcast, as saying Watson was headed to the hospital for precautionary tests. That is the only mention of the tests we have. None of the headlines or summaries we have gives a diagnosis, a return timeline, or the extent of Lee's hamstring injury.
Watson had been productive in the game before he left. Our box score shows him with six catches for 100 yards on seven targets, with the 53-yarder as his longest. He also lost a fumble, one of two Green Bay fumbles lost. The Packers led 20-10 early in the third quarter, with 227 total yards to Carolina's 89.
| GP | TOT | SOLO | AST | SACK | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Watson has been a main part of the offense this season. In seven games he has 34 catches for 595 yards and six touchdowns, with a long of 81. That is 17.5 yards a catch. He had 100 yards on Thursday in a little over half a game. He has four games of 96 or more yards this season, including 147 against Minnesota and 143 with two scores against Chicago.
The Packers are 4-3 and fourth in the NFC North. They come in on a one-game losing streak after a 20-17 loss at Detroit on Sunday. Carolina is 3-3, first in the NFC South, and also lost its last game, 43-13 to Tampa Bay. Green Bay's next game is at New England on Sunday, Nov. 8. Whether Watson and Lee can play that day depends on the hospital results and the Packers' next update. We don't have either yet.
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