GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson hurt his chest bad enough to get sent to the hospital Thursday night.
Hours later, he was back on the field — broken rib and all — helping his team finish off a 27-19 victory over the Carolina Panthers. It was the type of stunning transformation seen more often in professional wrestling than in actual non-scripted sports.
“I used to watch WWE as a kid,” Watson said after the game. “I felt like I was watching ‘WWE Smackdown vs. Raw’ or something, seeing the cameras on me when I was coming out of the ambulance. That was a little crazy.”
Watson's teammates offered stunned reactions after the game as they tried in vain to remember any other instances of a player returning to a game after getting sent to the hospital.
“That's some crazy (stuff), right there,” safety Javon Bullard said.
Watson's injury occurred in the second quarter as he made a 53-yard catch, with Carolina Panthers cornerback Will Lee also getting hurt on the play while making a diving stop. Lee was carted into the locker room with a hamstring injury and didn't return to the game.
“I couldn’t breathe on the field,” Watson said. “I got the wind knocked out of me. I got back to the sideline and I was kind of spitting up some blood or something like that. So the doctor said I had to go get a CT (scan)."
Watson said the CT scan showed no signs of internal bleeding, but he did break a rib on the play. Watson said he probably spent between 45 minutes and an hour at the hospital before getting transported back to Lambeau Field.
He put some padding on the broken rib and got himself ready to play again.
“I think it shows resiliency, I think it shows toughness and I think it just shows the love that he has for this team,” safety Xavier McKinney said.
Watson already had six catches for 100 yards at the time of his injury as he continued his breakthrough season. Watson has 42 catches for 708 yards — both career highs — through the Packers' first eight games.
No wonder Watson got a huge ovation when he sprinted out of the tunnel and back on the field in the third quarter. His teammates also gave him a hero's welcome.
“I was getting dap-ups like I was getting resurrected or something,” Watson said. “It was crazy. Guys were definitely shocked.”
Watson's return helped the Packers thwart Carolina's comeback attempt, as he finished with eight catches for 113 yards. After Carolina cut a 27-10 deficit to 27-19, Watson had a 7-yard reception on a third-and-2 play with about 2 1/2 minutes left to help the Packers essentially seal the victory.
He never thought about remaining out of the game once the CT scan came back clean. After all the time Watson has missed with a variety of injuries including a torn anterior cruciate ligament, he wants to make the most of every opportunity.
“This means everything to me, to be out there on the football field,” he said.
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