Watkins Makes Camp Debut After Fearing He ‘Messed Up’ Hamstring

Veteran Packers receiver Sammy Watkins needs to get healthy and stay healthy to change the course of his career.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When new Packers receiver Sammy Watkins landed in Green Bay for the start of training camp, he put himself through a workout.

He wasn’t properly hydrated following the flight and tweaked his hamstring a bit. For a player with a history of injury problems – and a player who knows he must put those injury problems behind him if he’s going to revive his career in Green Bay – it was a scary moment.

“Honestly, all type of thoughts,” he said after making his training camp debut on Friday. “I know the opportunity the Green Bay Packers have given me to be in this position, it’s a blessing. That’s why I kind of went off the deep end when I felt something. ‘Oh, I messed it up.’ They really looked at it and I didn’t really do anything.”

Turns out, he didn’t do anything. Watkins passed the conditioning test on Tuesday, sat out the practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and practiced on Friday.

Friday was a short, low-intensity practice as coach Matt LaFleur eases his players into the grind of the season. The team will practice on Saturday, get Sunday off, wear shoulder pads on Monday and go full pads for the first time on Tuesday.

That’s when it will get real for Watkins. The 29-year-old hasn’t had a 700-yard season, let alone a 1,000-yard season, since 2015. The past four seasons, he missed 18 games while scoring only nine touchdowns – the type of 2-to-1 ratio that will drive a player out of the league.

Sammy Watkins catches a pass at practice on July 29. Photo courtesy Evan Siegle/Packers.com

Watkins knows what’s at stake from a career perspective. As he said at minicamp last month, “My back is against the wall.” Getting to an optimal weight and doing the right things off the field will be key in getting healthy and staying healthy.

“I’m around 220 right now. Once I get to moving around and practicing every day, I’m pretty sure I’ll be around 215, and that’s where I’m elite at,” Watkins said. “When I’m at 215, 217, 218, I can play good ball. Anything over 220, I’m kind of in trouble. That’s the biggest thing. The older you get, you’ve got to watch your weight. Weight doesn’t come off as fast as it used to two, three years ago. I’ve got to be on my diet and be prepared and taking care of my body – cold tub, hot tub, get in the sauna. The small things that we want to skip one day, I can't do that. I tell everybody I feel like I’m 18, so I’ve got to try to keep it that way.”

For Watkins, having joined a team with a great quarterback and a great need at receiver, this is a golden opportunity. Following the trade of Davante Adams, the Packers signed Watkins and drafted three players. Aaron Rodgers has spoken of Allen Lazard being the new No. 1 receiver. Everything else is up for grabs.

“It’s not just me,” Watkins said. “You look collectively at the guys they drafted, the guys that stayed – Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Amari, Samori, everybody that’s in this room has to step up. Davante Adams left. ... Nobody’s starting right now. You see a lot of young guys out there making plays, running around, you see guys stepping up. My job is on the line. I’ve got to go out there and compete and have fun and be a leader also, but go out there and compete and get better.”

Sammy Watkins, a receiver for the Green Bay Packers and graduate of South Fort Myers High School, participates in a youth football camp that bears his name at South Fort Myers High School on Thursday, July 14. Photo by USA Today Sports

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