Packers WR Christian Watson searching for symmetry in effort to avoid hamstring injuries
Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson feels like he’s at 100 percent after hamstring injuries derailed his 2023 season, and he’s confident fixing an “asymmetry” problem — discovered during a visit with hamstring specialists at UW-Madison — will give him a better chance to stay healthy and avoid injury in 2024 and beyond.
Watson said building symmetry in the strength of his legs is the key moving forward.
“For me, it was really just the asymmetry between the legs,” Watson said Tuesday. “I’ve been attacking the strength side of it, trying to get the symmetry back in it, and that’s been huge for me.”
The third-year receiver said lingering weakness resulting from past injuries likely contributed to the asymmetry. Now, building strength to create balance is the goal, and it’s working so far. Watson was on the field as a full participant during OTAs on Tuesday.
“I’ve been feeling really good, continuing to build on that, continuing to get that strength up,” Watson said Tuesday. “I definitely feel like I’m at 100 percent, just in terms of what I’m able to do on the football field right now.”
Watson missed the first three games of the 2023 season with a hamstring injury and then re-injured his hamstring against the Kansas City Chiefs in early December, which forced him out of the final five games of the regular season. A 2022 second-round pick, Watson has missed 11 games in two NFL seasons.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Watson is in “a really good place” at this point of the offseason workout program.
Can Watson continue building strength, find symmetry, avoid fatigue and stress and eliminate the injuries that have prevented him from being a consistent difference maker for the Packers? A 6-4 receiver with elite speed and athletic ability, Watson has proved he can create big plays and score touchdowns when he’s on the field. Now, he’s armed with the information required to stay on the field.
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