Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson made an extraordinary return to Thursday night’s game against the Carolina Panthers after leaving Lambeau Field in an ambulance during the first half to undergo hospital testing for a chest injury.
Watson re-entered the contest with 4:01 remaining in the third quarter while Green Bay held a 27-13 advantage, according to Yahoo Sports. His unexpected return to the sideline and subsequent re-entry into the game drew loud cheers from the home crowd after what initially appeared to be a severe setback earlier in the evening.
Injury on a deep reception
The incident occurred during the second quarter when Packers quarterback Jordan Love connected with Watson on a 53-yard completion. Watson contested the throw against Carolina cornerback Will Lee II and landed forcefully on top of the football as he hit the turf, USA Today and Yahoo Sports reported.
Watson stayed down on the field for an extended period to receive attention from Green Bay athletic trainers before walking off under his own power. He initially entered the sideline blue medical observation tent for evaluation. Lee was also hurt on the collision, clutching his hamstring, and eventually left the field on a motorized cart. Carolina later designated Lee as doubtful to return due to the hamstring injury, Yahoo Sports reported.
Precautionary trip by ambulance
Following Watson’s brief assessment in the sideline tent, the Packers announced that the receiver was questionable to return with a chest issue. Broadcast cameras on Amazon Prime Video soon captured Watson climbing into an ambulance while still wearing his game uniform, SB Nation and USA Today reported.
The Packers confirmed that medical staff transported Watson to a local medical facility for what the team termed precautionary testing. Sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung noted during the telecast that Watson was being examined to ensure there was no significant internal damage from the hard landing.
While an ambulance transport typically signals the end of an athlete’s night, Green Bay never officially ruled Watson out. Early in the second half, Hartung reported on the broadcast that Watson’s medical tests at the hospital had come back clear and that he was already on his way back to Lambeau Field.
Dramatic return to the field
Television footage later documented Watson’s ambulance pulling back into the stadium concourse midway through the third quarter. Watson quickly jogged out of the vehicle and sprinted into the Packers locker room, as shown on the Amazon telecast.
A few moments later, Watson emerged from the tunnel in uniform and jogged back toward the Green Bay sideline. After putting his helmet back on, he checked back into the game on offense during the third quarter.
Before his sudden departure, Watson had already put together a dominant performance against Carolina’s secondary. He collected six receptions for 100 yards prior to leaving the field. The outing pushed his season statistics to 40 catches, 695 receiving yards and six touchdowns through eight games, establishing a single-season career high in yardage during his fifth NFL campaign, according to Yahoo Sports.
Packers coaches and team medical personnel have not yet announced whether Watson will face any further medical monitoring or restrictions during practice ahead of Green Bay’s next contest.
