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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love’s inaugural experience as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers will commence without at least one of his top receivers.
Christian Watson, known for his speed, has been ruled out of Sunday’s regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears due to a hamstring injury, according to coach Matt LaFleur’s announcement on Friday.
Romeo Doubs, another receiver, is also dealing with a hamstring issue and is listed as questionable. However, LaFleur indicated that it is likely Doubs will be available for Sunday’s game.
Watson’s hamstring injury emerged this week after he successfully completed training camp without missing a single practice. He even participated in both sessions last week following the preseason opener, so it remains unclear when the injury occurred.
“Well, we still had an entire week to prepare for this situation,” LaFleur stated on Friday. “So I don’t think it will drastically alter the plan. Anytime you’re missing one of your key players, it does present a challenge. However, these things happen all the time. Just look at the Chiefs last night.”
LaFleur described Watson’s injury as “hopefully just week to week,” suggesting that placing him on injured reserve may not be necessary. If Watson were to go on IR, he would be required to miss a minimum of four games.
Last season, Watson missed three games (Weeks 3, 6, and 7) due to a hamstring injury. It is unclear if this current injury is to the same leg as last year. Additionally, he missed a significant portion of his rookie training camp due to a knee injury.
In 14 games last season, Watson caught 41 passes for 611 yards and seven touchdowns, two of which were 50-plus yard scores. He also scored two rushing touchdowns. The majority of his production came in the second half of the season, as he only had seven catches for 52 yards in the first seven games.
The Packers already possess one of the youngest wide receiver groups in the league, with Doubs and Watson as the most experienced despite being in only their second NFL seasons. Now, the receiving corps will potentially consist of Doubs (if available), second-year player Samori Toure (who had just five catches last season), rookie second-round pick Jayden Reed, rookie fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks, undrafted rookie Malik Heath, and possibly practice squad elevations in Bo Melton and/or Grant DuBose.
“It was another good day,” Doubs said after being limited in Friday’s practice. “We’re only 48 hours away. We just have to continue progressing and see where we stand. So far, so good.”
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