Confident Watson Hits Next Milepost

After missing the first two weeks of training camp, rookie Packers receiver Christian Watson caught a couple passes during the live portion of practice on Sunday.

Bill Huber | Aug 22, 2022

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On the seventh play of the 18th practice of training camp, Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson ran an in-breaking route and caught a pass from Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.

It was the first for Watson, who opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list, in a true practice setting. Rasul Douglas was the nearest defender. He added another later, a slant in which he showed plenty of burst after making the catch.

“It feels amazing just to be able to up against the defense and get some live reps,” Watson said afterward. “It feels like it’s been a long time coming for me. It’s only been a few weeks but I feel like it’s definitely been a long time coming and I’ve been itching to get back out there. So, it feels great.”

Itching, indeed.

Watson, who underwent a minor knee operation at the end of the offseason program, went through individual drills last week but didn’t participate in the joint practices against the Saints. Before Friday’s game, he went through warmups in full uniform alongside his teammates.

He watched the game in full uniform, too, seemingly ready to enter a game in which he wasn’t going to play.

“I felt really good,” Watson said. “I came in, I talked to Coach LaFleur and I was like, ‘Should I take it off?’ He was like, ‘Nah, you look good. Just leave it on.’ ‘Yeah, I feel good, too.’ Obviously, it was my first time putting it on and getting to go out there. Even if he didn’t tell me to leave it on, I probably would’ve left it on, anyways. It felt really good. It’s better than street clothes.”

With the start of the regular season three weeks away, Sunday kicked off a big stretch for Watson to show that he’s ready physically and mentally.

Physically, Watson feels good. Now, he just needs to get into better shape. Obviously, it’s hard to be in peak physical conditioning following knee surgery.

“There’s nothing like getting in football shape. You have to be doing it really to get into it,” Watson said. “I’m honestly going to put in the extra work, whether it’s a couple gassers after practice or making sure that I’m taking a deep breath between reps.

“That’s honestly one of my main focuses right now is getting back into football shape, getting that conditioning right. If I’m going in there and I’m feeling 100 percent with the knee for three plays, it’s not going to even help if I’m only able to do three plays and I’m gassed. I definitely don’t want to put bad stuff on film because I’m tired and running some mediocre routes. So, the conditioning is definitely huge.”

Mentally, he’s got some work to do, too. Watson knows the plays. He’s taken mental reps. He’s been in the meetings. He’s seen the film. But there’s nothing like doing it live. There’s the play that’s in the playbook and then there’s the live playbook, with the myriad of adjustments at the line of scrimmage and in-play to counter how defense is lined up and its own pre-snap adjustments.

There’s no other way to learn the “real” playbook than to do it on the practice field against the defense, and then to discuss things with Rodgers afterward.

“That’s kind of a personal thing for me, wanting to know the whys and the ins and outs of things, and knowing what he’s communicating pre-snap, because there’s a lot of communication pre-snap of what he wants to change and stuff that he sees,” Watson said.

“Just knowing the reasons and knowing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing and why I’m doing it on that play, that’s something that’s big for me. I want to understand everything. Just being able to go to him after and kind of pick his brain a little bit and learn more, it’s something I’ll continue to do throughout the duration of his time here.”

The Packers will practice on Monday and Tuesday of this week before the preseason opener at the Chiefs on Thursday. Coach Matt LaFleur hasn’t decided who will play. After that, it’s two weeks of practice to get ready for Week 1 at the Vikings.

Watson, who the Packers traded up to get in hopes that he’d carry on the team’s second-round-receiver tradition, is confident that he’ll be ready to go, even with his abbreviated training camp.

“I feel like I’m here for a reason,” he said. “I feel like I have the capabilities to go out there and play really well in the NFL. I think getting those live reps in practice will be more than enough if I’m not able to play to build that connection with the offense and get those reps in and be on the same page with ‘12.’ I think when the time comes for me to play, I’ll be ready.”

Highlights From Sunday at Packers Training Camp

Here is the play of the day, player of the day and more from Aug. 21.

Player of the Day

Eric Stokes (USA Today Sports Images)

After a standout rookie season, cornerback Eric Stokes got off to a rough start to training camp. He was victimized several times by rookie receiver Romeo Doubs. Following one rep during one-on-ones, Doubs made the play and Stokes pounded his helmet into the turf in frustration.

Stokes, however, has found his groove. He was the best player on the field on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers threw three passes at No. 21 during a two-minute drill at the end of practice. The first was an incompletion to tight end Josiah Deguara. Stokes danced after that one. The second was an incompletion to receiver Allen Lazard. Stokes posed after that one. The last came on a deep ball up the sideline to receiver Sammy Watkins. The ball was well-thrown but Watkins couldn’t get an inch of separation and Stokes knocked it away.

Pasted to the outside of Stokes’ locker are a series of notes, such as “Don’t Let Me Get Too High or Low.” Asked about them last week, Stokes said: “Just stuff I’ve got to remember day in and day out. This is what I dream for. It’s just like different little things. Don’t ever get too high. Don’t ever get too low. Just keep it right in the middle. Just try to keep your composure.”

Play of the Day

Kenny Clark (USA Today Sports Images)

When AJ Dillon is doing spin moves in the backfield, you know there’s trouble. The trouble on this particular play was defensive tackle Kenny Clark overwhelming left guard Jon Runyan to produce a big loss.

Packers Depth Chart Notes

Shemar Jean-Charles (USA Today Sports)

- The newsworthy item on the depth charts is there were no major moves following Friday’s game.

- With the No. 2 defense, the outside linebacker tandem was Jonathan Garvin and La’Darius Hamilton. Against the Saints, it was Garvin and Tipa Galeai. Was that a switch in backups or just another day in the revolving door as the team tries to figure out who will be the top backups?

- The No. 3 tandem at outside linebacker was Galeai and Kobe Jones. Fifth-round rookie Kingsley Enagbare, who had a hot streak last week and led the team in pressures on Friday (but also was guilty of a horse-collar tackle), was the last man on the pecking order.

- While cornerback Kiondre Thomas had an excellent performance vs. the Saints, the No. 2 cornerback trio remains Shemar Jean-Charles and Rico Gafford on the perimeter and Keisean Nixon in the slot.

- Another young player who had a big-time game against the Saints was rookie offensive lineman Zach Tom. Nonetheless, the No. 1 offensive line was the group that started all week against the Saints: Yosh Nijman at left tackle, Jon Runyan at left guard, Josh Myers at center, Jake Hanson at right guard and Royce Newman at right tackle. Tom did get a few first-team snaps at right tackle.

Packers Transactions

Coach Matt LaFleur (USA Today Sports Images)

Before practice, the Packers released outside linebacker Chauncey Manac and center/guard Ty Clary.

Manac, an undrafted rookie who had a 0-yard sack on Friday, was at the bottom of a promising depth chart that includes Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, Kingsley Enagbare and Kobe Jones in the pursuit of the backup spots behind starters Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

Coach Matt LaFleur didn’t rule out filling one of those spots with a safety.

Packers Sunday Injury Report

David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins (Bill Huber/Packer Central)

In a major development, David Bakhtiari was activated from the physically unable to perform list. That has the Packers in position to line up in Week 1 with Bakhtiari at left tackle and Elgton Jenkins at right tackle.

“It feels good, man,” he said after his debut. “We’ll see how I respond tomorrow but, as of right now, it’s a good checkmark on the day. Felt good, I was happy where I was at.”

While Innis Gaines (hamstring) returned to the practice field, the team remains down four safeties with Vernon Scott out with a shoulder injury. The team is “still getting opinions” on Scott, who was injured trying make a tackle on Friday.

Gaines was limited to individual drills and worked a bit as a jammer on punt return.

Returned to practice: S Innis Gaines (hamstring), LT David Bakhtiari (knee).

New injuries: S Vernon Scott (shoulder).

Old injuries: S Dallin Leavitt (shoulder), S Tariq Carpenter (knee), S Darnell Savage (hamstring), DT Akial Byers (ankle).

Physically unable to perform list: K Mason Crosby (knee), RB Kylin Hill (knee).

Packers Training Camp Schedule

Aaron Rodgers (USA Today Sports Images)

Training camp is closed to the public for the rest of summer. Officially, there are two days left in camp with practices on Monday and Tuesday, a travel day on Wednesday and the preseason finale on Thursday.

Also, the Packers must cut their roster to 80 players by 3 p.m. Tuesday. They’re at 83.

Sunday’s Training Camp Highlights

Christian Watson (USA Today Sports Images)

- This practice was focused on the starters who were held out of Friday’s preseason game. In the lone two-minute drill, Aaron Rodgers and Co. started at their 30 with 1:50 on the clock and no timeouts. On fourth-and-10 from the 30, Randall Cobb found a void in the defense and made a nice leaping catch for a gain of 24. The drive stalled there. Rodgers clocked the ball on first down, gained only 5 on a checkdown to AJ Dillon that was defended well by linebacker Quay Walker on second down, and threw back-to-back incompletions to Sammy Watkins and Cobb.

- Rodgers coaxed the defense offside and connected with Josiah Deguara for a nice gain. What was noteworthy was Rodgers exchanging fist-bumps with center Josh Myers for making it happen. Rodgers has been tough on Myers at times.

- Rodgers connected on a pair of passes to rookie receiver Christian Watson, who was getting his first 11-on-11 reps since coming off PUP last week.

"It feels amazing just to be able to up against the defense and get some live reps," Watson said. "It feels like it’s been a long time coming for me. It’s only been a few weeks but I feel like it’s definitely been a long time coming and I’ve been itching to get back out there. So, it feels great."

- A swing pass to Dexter Williams gained a nice chunk of yards because of new receiver Travis Fulgham’s block of Rico Gafford.

- Watkins hasn’t dropped many passes. He might not have dropped any, actually. But he did along the sideline on a Rodgers scramble drill.

- Shemar Jean-Charles had great coverage to prevent a deep completion to Watkins. On the next play, he was beaten by Romeo Doubs on a post and flagged for holding.

- Kicker Ramiz Ahmed made all six field-goal attempts with a long of 51. He is 17-of-19 at practice and 2-for-2 in games.