Naturally, for a player who has been as injury-prone as Packers receiver Christian Watson in his career, especially as he comes off the most serious injury he’s had as an NFL player–an ACL tear in January–there is going to be concern raised when his name crops up on the injury report. And Watson, after Week 10’s team-wide dud against the Eagles on Monday, was indeed on the injury report on Thursday, ahead of the Packers’ next game against the Giants.
Watson was listed as “limited” this week, with injuries to his knee and hamstring, which has pretty much been the story of his career to this point. But, he explained after practice, he’s not actually injured.
“I wouldn’t classify it an injury because I didn’t get injured. It wasn’t during the game, just feeling sore,” he said.
Watson explained that Packers coaches are just seeking to be careful with him.
“I mean, they gotta do what they gotta do,” said Watson, who had two catches for 45 yards on Monday. “I definitely, if it were up to me, I am not injured, so I mean, they just gotta do what they gotta do. I am good. I have no worries in terms of where I am gonna be at for Sunday. Just precautions, I guess for them.
“I am just sore. I am still in kind of the ramp-up phase, coming back from the ACL. So, I am just sore. Got a decent amount of snaps in the game and everything. Enough to be smarter about the rep count in practice but I mean, I feel fine, confident about it.”
The Packers had only one player miss practice in full on Thursday, and that was cornerback Nate Hobbs.
The full list of limited participants was, in addition to Watson: Kingsley Enagbare (knee), Matthew Golden (shoulder), Micah Parsons (pec), Zach Tom (back), Lukas Van Ness (foot), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Savion Williams (foot).
Getting Van Ness back will add some firepower to the Packers defense, as he has been out since Week 5, against the Bengals. Van Ness had 1.5 sacks when he went out, and three tackles for a loss.
Coach Matt LaFleur addressed his return before practice.
“I just think he’s a really good player. So, you always want good players out there on the field,” LaFleur said. “His versatility is something I think could give players a boost.”
The storm surrounding the New York Yankees’ offseason just got louder. Following reports that owner Hal Steinbrenner has ordered the front office to slash payroll below $300 million for 2026, a former Yankees manager has spoken out — and his words have struck deep within the Bronx faithful.
“The Yankees I knew were built on pride, not profit,” he said firmly. “They’re trying to build a money machine instead of a team that represents what the Yankees spirit used to be.”
His comments come as the organization faces growing backlash for tightening budgets despite generating over $728 million in revenue last year, the second-highest in Major League Baseball. Fans have accused Steinbrenner of prioritizing financial efficiency over championships, especially after the team’s early playoff exit to the Blue Jays reignited the frustration of a 16-year title drought.
“When you walk into that clubhouse, you should feel history — Mantle, Jeter, Rivera, all those names meant something,” he continued. “Now, you walk in and it feels like a spreadsheet. It’s sad to say, but that fire — that edge — it’s fading.”
While he stopped short of naming Steinbrenner directly, his message was unmistakable: the Yankees have lost touch with the bold, win-at-all-costs identity once personified by Hal’s father, George Steinbrenner.
Several former players and local columnists have echoed the sentiment, suggesting that Hal’s cost-cutting mandate risks undermining morale inside the organization and alienating a fan base already weary of corporate decision-making.