The NFL is already reviewing how the Philadelphia Eagles managed quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood-clot diagnosis, and the Green Bay Packers could draw similar attention after wide receiver Christian Watson returned to action less than an hour after leaving Lambeau Field in an ambulance with a broken rib and blood coming from his mouth.
Watson suffered the injury on a 53-yard catch in the second quarter of Thursday’s 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers. He landed on the ball as Panthers cornerback Will Lee came down on top of him. The play was his sixth reception of the night and pushed him to exactly 100 yards at that point.
Through eight games this season Watson has career highs with 42 catches for 708 yards and six touchdowns. Those totals rank among the league’s better marks for wide receivers. He entered the Panthers game on pace for a strong year and finished with eight receptions for 113 yards on 10 targets.
Team doctors sent Watson to a nearby hospital for an X-ray, CT scan and blood work after he was coughing up blood on the sideline. The X-ray confirmed the broken rib, but tests showed no internal bleeding. Doctors cleared him to return.
Watson re-entered the game with 4:01 left in the third quarter. On his first play back, quarterback Jordan Love targeted him deep. Watson later said he wanted to return even before he left the hospital.
“I was spitting a little blood [on the sideline] at first, so they just wanted to make sure there was nothing crazy,” Watson said. “I cleared everything and was able to get back out.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur called the sequence remarkable after the game.
“He landed on the ball, I believe that’s what I was told, and he was coughing up blood,” LaFleur said. “So they took him for precautionary reasons and had to check him all out and get like a CT scan or something. He obviously cleared that and was good to go back in the game.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio questioned the decision in light of the ongoing Hurts situation.
“He broke a rib, and was spitting up blood, and he came back and played in the game? … Are you effing kidding me?” Florio said. “After what we just saw and the s*** storm the NFL is still dealing with with Jalen Hurts, they took this guy to the hospital because he was spitting up blood and had a broken rib. ” They took him to a hospital to make sure it wasn’t something really serious, and they said, ‘Alright, it’s not that thing that could be really serious – go back and play more football after you’ve been spitting up blood with a broken rib. Go ahead, you’re good to go.’ “I mean, is this real life? Is this AI? Am I in a matrix here? It makes no sense after what they went through with Jalen Hurts that they would let Christian Watson go back into that game.”
The NFL initially said it would not discipline the Eagles after Hurts played in London with a calf clot that later turned into clots in both lungs and ended his season. The NFL Players Association then demanded a full investigation. The league and union later agreed to a joint review of the Eagles’ handling, including questions about who has final say on a player’s return.
With that review still active, observers have noted the parallel with Watson’s quick return. The Packers improved to 5-3 with the win over the 3-4 Panthers. Watson has been listed as dealing with rib soreness since the game, though team officials have said he is doing well and working to be available for the next contest.
The episode has prompted discussion about whether teams are taking adequate precautions when symptoms such as coughing blood appear, even after hospital tests come back clear. Watson’s production in the game showed he remained effective, but the short turnaround from ambulance to field has drawn scrutiny similar to the Hurts case.
League medical protocols emphasize independent evaluation in serious situations, yet the final clearance in this instance rested with the team’s medical staff and the player’s desire to play. The joint review of the Eagles’ process could set clearer standards that would apply to incidents like Watson’s as well.
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