Seemingly every other game in the NFL these days, there’s a scary injury that requires transportation and tests at the hospital. Just in the past few weeks, Jalen Hurts’ blood clots and Terry McLaurin’s awful leg injury were major stories around the league.
During Thursday night’s game, that injury went to Green Bay Packers star wide receiver Christian Watson. On a play that also hurt a defensive back.
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Watson was in the middle of a huge night against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, racking up six catches for 100 receiving yards in the first half. His big play came when he brought in a 53-yard catch on a deep ball from Jordan Love about midway through the second quarter, setting the Packers up in great field position as they drove down for another score.
But he hit the ground hard while colliding with Panthers cornerback Will Lee III, and was slow to get up. Lee himself also had to be helped to his feet thanks to a hamstring injury, eventually needing the cart to leave the field.
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Carolina Panthers cornerback Will Lee III (24) is helped from the field after being injured during the first half of an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wis., on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
But Watson’s injury, at first glance, seemed more serious. The 27-year-old was transported in an ambulance to a hospital near Lambeau Field, undergoing precautionary checks for a chest injury, while Lee was deemed doubtful to return to the game himself. But that’s where the story gets crazier, and so much better.
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Not long after leaving for the hospital, Watson, miraculously, returned to Lambeau Field. Quite literally driven back to the stadium in the ambulance, cameras caught him running out of the tunnel back in full pads to, unsurprisingly, a raucous reception from the home crowd.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson reacts against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Oct. 29, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Seems like Watson either never got out of pads while going to the hospital, going through medical tests while in full uniform, or did an extremely fast quick change. Then he was driven back to the stadium in an ambulance, running directly from the tunnel out to the field. Less than an hour after sustaining what looked to be a scary, and painful, injury.
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And sure enough, Watson returned to the game not long afterward. Even pulling in another reception, as Love found him for a six-yard completion in Carolina territory right at the start of the fourth quarter. Incredible.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson catches a pass for a first down as Carolina Panthers safety Zakee Wheatley hits him during the first half of an NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
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That drive wound up in a Love interception, but the Packers still took a 27-13 lead into the middle part of the fourth quarter. And they have their star wide receiver back, somehow, after a brief detour to a local hospital. Not that most fans doubt NFL players are tough, but absolutely nobody will be questioning Christian Watson’s toughness and commitment to his team anytime soon.