Green Bay Packers superstar wide receiver Christian Watson turned the NFL into a Hollywood movie on Thursday night, after he was transported to the hospital and somehow still returned to play in the second half.
Watson made a long catch at the start of the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers, but was bundled to the ground hard by two defenders in the process.
He walked off the field under his own power and was seen heading back to the locker room, but things took a scary turn shortly after.
Before halftime, the Amazon Prime broadcast cut to pictures from the tunnel, where Watson, 27, was being loaded into the back of an ambulance to travel to a local hospital.
According to the report, he was set to undergo precautionary tests for a suspected chest injury, but no further details were given at the time.
Incredibly, around an hour later another update was given by sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung: Watson’s tests were all clear and he was heading back to Lambeau Field.
Christian Watson was landed on by two defenders as he hauled in a huge catch early on
Watson was left sprawled out on his back with a suspected chest injury which ruled him out
A short time later, Watson was taken to a local hospital for precautionary tests on his chest
Watson’s injury came after he had already reached 100 yards from six first-half catches
Shortly after, an even more remarkable scene unfolded as Watson hopped out of the same ambulance, spent three minutes in the locker room, and then made his way back to the field to continue playing in the game.
A camera caught the amazing moment he ran down the tunnel and emerged in front of the crowd, which understandably went wild at the sight of the wide receiver.
Seemingly understanding the gravity of the situation, Watson himself was seen pumping up the crowd as he ran back to his teammates on the sideline – they too seemed extremely surprised to see him.
A few plays later he was back in the game, and immediately being targeted by quarterback Jordan Love to add to his totals against the Panthers.
Watson is in his fifth season in the NFL, having been drafted by the Packers out of North Dakota State in 2022.
