Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Misses Practice

The Green Bay Packers eeked out a tough 26-20 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 16, and they had to do it without their promising rookie wide receiver for much of the game. They may have to do it again against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. Wide receiver Christian Watson missed practice Wednesday with a hip injury, casting doubt over his availability for Sunday's game.

Matt LaFleur on the practice status of the following players:

Christian Watson: No practice
Keisean Nixon: No practice
David Bakhtiari: Limited
Yosh Nijman: Not sure
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 28, 2022

Watson played 25 snaps in the Packers' Christmas Day win over the Miami Dolphins, about 38% of the total offensive snaps. He typically played 80-90% of the Packers' snaps from Week 10 to Week 15. Even if he makes his way back to practice in the coming days, he could be looking at a reduced role in Week 17.

Watson has emerged as an incredibly promising star for the Packers in recent weeks, totalling 408 yards and seven touchdowns on 25 catches over his last six games. If he misses time, the Packers offense could regress in crucial upcoming NFC North games against the Vikings and Detroit Lions. Luckily for the Packers, the Vikings don't have all that much to play for on Sunday, but a Wildcard spot could potentially be on the line for the Lions in the season finale.

Watson joined the Packers as their 34th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Before his recent hot streak, he had been a troubling no-show in the early portion of the season: from Week 1 to Week 9, he totalled a mere 88 yards on 10 receptions. Thankfully, he appears to have found his footing in the league.