ChristianWatson

News: 12 hours agoWatson, who is expected to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list, currently doesn't appear to be a player recovering from a torn ACL, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Spin: Watson suffered an ACL tear in his right knee Week 18 of last season, but he appears to have made significant strides in his recovery considering how he's moving about. Despite the positive state of the situation, he opened training camp on the active/PUP list and seems destined to move to reserve/PUP once cut-down day arrives on Aug. 26. The Packers' medical staff is overly cautious with rehabs from serious injuries, so even if he could suit up during the first four weeks of the upcoming campaign, there's a good chance he'll continue to build up strength in his right leg, which previously was plagued by hamstring issues, with the aim to deploy him at some point in the first half of the season.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Watson is entering his fourth year with the Packers, but he's unlikely to return before midseason after suffering a torn ACL in Week 18 of last season. The injury is yet another setback for a player who has missed 13 regular season games, including, at least, two all three years. Even when healthy, the 2022 second-round pick has failed to live up to his pedigree, having yet to produce a top-30 fantasy campaign. He's all but settled in as a situational deep threat, ranking second in aDOT each of the last two seasons. On the plus side, Watson ranked second among receivers in YPT (11.5) and YPR (21.4) last season, which allowed a career-high 620 receiving yards. Perhaps a healthy Watson will eventually find his way back to fantasy relevance, but the 26-year-old is well off the radar in 2025.