Packers' Watson suffered season-ending ACL injury

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is believed to have torn his ACL and suffered additional damage to his right knee Sunday against the Chicago Bears, head coach Matt LaFleur announced Monday.

"Yeah, it's not good. He'll be out for the rest of the year," LaFleur told reporters, including team reporter Wes Hodkiewicz.

"It's a big-time loss," LaFleur added. "Just his presence on the field alone. I hurt for him because I know how much he's put into this thing."

Watson's injury is severe enough to not only end his season but jeopardize his availability for the start of the 2025 campaign, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The wideout appeared to sustain the injury while running a route in the second quarter. He clutched his knee while team trainers treated him and was carted off the field for further evaluation.

The North Dakota State product was held out of the Packers' previous game against the Minnesota Vikings due to a bruised left knee. A hamstring injury limited Watson to nine regular-season games in 2023.

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love also exited the matchup with an elbow injury later in the first half. LaFleur said Love could have returned to the game despite experiencing numbness in his throwing hand.

Watson, a 2022 second-round pick, entered the final week of the regular season with 620 yards on 29 receptions for two touchdowns.

Most of the starters played against the Bears but were benched after halftime. Green Bay entered Sunday without Romeo Doubs, who was inactive because of an illness.

The Packers, who had clinched a playoff spot before last weekend, will play the Philadelphia Eagles in a wild-card game Sunday in a rematch from their season opener in Brazil.