Throughout his initial two seasons in the NFL, Christian Watson has been sidelined for a significant amount of time. One of the priorities for him and the Packers this offseason was to address his recurring hamstring issues, and there has been progress in that area.

Selected as the No. 34 pick in the 2022 draft, Watson came to Green Bay with high expectations. However, his rookie year was cut short to just 11 games, prompting concerns about his durability. In 2023, the 25-year-old receiver missed the first three weeks and the final five games of the season due to recurring hamstring issues.

Following the season, Green Bay had Watson see a specialist at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health to address his concerns. During his recovery process, Watson attributed his problems to the lack of symmetry in his leg strength, particularly in his hamstrings. Working on rebuilding that strength has been crucial for his improvement.

“The issue for me was the asymmetry between my legs,” Watson remarked during OTAs (as reported by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). “It stemmed from various factors, including past hamstring issues and not fully recovering strength-wise. I’ve been focusing on regaining that symmetry, and it has made a significant difference. I feel really good.”

After his test at Wisconsin, Watson found that there was around a 20% difference in muscle mass between his right and left legs. While he has made progress in reducing this gap, he is still working towards his goal of a 6% difference. Monitoring his progress during OTAs and training camp will be important, with his availability for game days being the ultimate measure of his success.

Currently, both Watson and the Packers are optimistic that this offseason will mark a turning point in terms of his health. The team’s young receiving group, which includes Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks, performed well last season as Jordan Love filled in at quarterback. Watson, who has averaged 15 yards per catch and scored 12 touchdowns in his career, is poised to play a significant role in 2024 and beyond if he can stay healthy. At present, it seems likely that he will be able to achieve this, given his commitment to his recovery plan.