GREEN BAY, Wis. Christian Watson returned from a hospital visit for a chest injury to make two more catches in the Green Bay Packers' 27-19 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. The receiver finished with eight receptions for 113 yards despite leaving Lambeau Field in an ambulance during the game.
Watson was hurt while completing a 53-yard reception with 9:11 remaining in the second quarter. His sixth catch brought his receiving total to exactly 100 yards, but he struggled to get up after landing. He eventually walked off the field and then jogged to the locker room without help. Watson said he thought he had landed on the football or his elbow, leaving him unable to catch his breath.
After Watson began spitting up blood, a doctor told him he needed a CT scan. He initially pleaded to avoid the hospital trip, but climbed into an ambulance shortly before 8:30 p.m. local time, still wearing his pads. An X-ray revealed a broken rib. A CT scan and blood tests found no additional issues, and Watson wanted to return to the field before he had even left the hospital.
By 9:19 p.m., Watson had stepped out of the ambulance and run through the tunnel to the Packers' sideline. There were 6:56 left in the third quarter. The trip had taken less than the hour he estimated, although he did not know which hospital he had visited. He had been taken to St. Vincent Hospital, 3.9 miles from Lambeau Field.
Television cameras tracked his return, an experience Watson compared to the WWE shows he watched as a child. He described the attention as surreal and said hearing fans cheer as he came back was exciting. With 4:01 remaining in the third quarter, he reentered the game and immediately received a deep throw from quarterback Jordan Love. He failed to make the catch and landed hard, but quickly got back up.
Watson subsequently caught a 6-yard pass on the opening play of the fourth quarter and added a 7-yard reception. The performance gave him his third 100-yard receiving game of the season. His 53-yard catch was also his third reception of at least 50 yards this season, the highest total in the NFL.
Since 2022, Watson has made 11 catches of at least 50 yards, trailing only Nico Collins, who has 12. Watson also reached 13 receptions of at least 20 yards this season, second to Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 14.
Safety Xavier McKinney praised Watson's toughness and commitment, noting that he returned even after reaching 100 yards. Coach Matt LaFleur also praised his determination and performance. Nobody in the Packers' locker room could recall a player returning from the hospital to participate in the same game. Running back Josh Jacobs said it was a first for him.
