Packers Star Christian Watson Rushed to Hospital After Ugly Collision With Panthers Rookie During TNF
from Essentially NFL/Pro Football
Christian Watson knows the toll the NFL can take on a body. Hamstring strains, a concussion, multiple ankle sprains, a torn ACL. He’s been through all of it. “It’s a tough sport, a lot on the body,” he said. But what happened on Thursday night was different.
With 9:19 on the clock, Jordan Love launched a ball downfield toward Watson. Going up against two defenders, Watson came down with a 53-yard catch, but Panthers rookie cornerback Will Lee III landed right on top of him.
Watson needed help from the trainers, then walked off under his own power toward the medical tent. Lee, who went down holding his left leg, was carted to the locker room, and the Panthers later ruled him doubtful to return with a hamstring injury. It capped a rough night for Lee, who had drawn a pass interference flag on third-and-11 earlier that gave Green Bay a first down.
The Packers first announced that Watson was “questionable to return with a chest injury,” but the hospital trip suggested his night was done. Prime Video’s cameras later showed Watson getting into an ambulance, with Kaylee Hartung reporting that Watson was “taken to the hospital with a chest injury for precautionary reasons.”
But if Watson walked off on his own, why would he be taken to a hospital? Former NFL team doctor David J. Chao explained. Had Watson left the field with a shoulder sprain, things would have been different. But the impact of the fall had affected his chest.
“The concern is likely at the sternoclavicular joint, where a dislocation can threaten major blood vessels in the chest. The sternoclavicular joint is right here,” he said, pointing to his chest. “A dislocation or serious injury there can put pressure on the major blood vessels and structures in the chest. That’s why they send players in for further evaluation — to make sure nothing is compromised. It’s a precaution, the same kind of concern we’ve seen before.”
There’s precedent for it, first with Tyreek Hill in 2019 and then with Marquise Brown in 2024. Hill’s injury came when a cornerback landed on him during a contested catch, while Brown’s came from landing on his shoulder.
The Packers were right to be cautious. A dislocated sternoclavicular joint can threaten vital structures like the windpipe and major blood vessels. And Watson’s injury history made the hospital visit even more stressful.
He has been through this kind of scare before. Last season, Watson was on a hot streak, scoring five touchdowns in his first seven games back from a torn ACL. But in December, he was taken to a hospital after getting hurt in a loss to the Broncos. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky later reported that testing showed nothing that would require an extended absence.
Fortunately for Watson and the Packers, this injury didn’t keep him out for long, either.
Shortly after Watson was spotted boarding the ambulance, another clip emerged. It showed Watson running back down the tunnel and onto the field after being cleared at the hospital. He returned to action, adding to the six catches for 100 yards he had before leaving.
For the Packers, getting their top receiver back was a huge relief. Watson entered Thursday as Green Bay’s leading receiver with 595 yards and six touchdowns. That matters because the Packers throw more than anyone. They entered the night as the most pass-heavy offense in the league.
Watson has been central to that approach. With Jordan Love on a tear, losing a receiver like Watson at this stage of the season could have disastrous playoff consequences.
Green Bay also came in averaging just 20.6 points per game, so it had little margin to lose its top receiver. That’s especially true with Matthew Golden, the Packers’ No. 2 receiver and 10th in the NFL in receiving yards, listed as questionable heading into the game with a shoulder and foot issue.
In any case, Watson returned to the field to add a few more receiving yards as the Packers beat the Panthers to improve to 5-3.