Christian Watson was 'spitting blood' before hospital U-turn in Packers' TNF win

Sian JonesFri, October 30, 2026 at 9:12 AM UTC

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Christian Watson returned to field against the Panthers despite being taken to hospital -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)

Christian Watson was taken to hospital after spitting blood during the Green Bay Packers' win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. However, the wide receiver returned to Lambeau Field before the game had finished.

Watson had just completed a 53-yard catch from quarterback Jordan Love when he was hit by Carolina cornerback Will Lee III and safety Zakee Wheatley.

The receiver initially struggled to catch his breath before going to the medical tent, where Packers staff noticed blood in his saliva. After spitting blood into a cup at the request of a trainer, Watson was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent Trauma Center in Green Bay.

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However, after being cleared by doctors, Watson returned late in the third quarter and caught a six-yard pass on the opening play of the fourth. He finished as the game's leading receiver with 113 yards from eight receptions.

“I never wanted to go [to hospital], I was hoping they’d let me off,” Watson said after the game. “They said there were a couple of signs that made them want to take me over there, so I was just praying it was good enough that I could come back out here. Luckily it was …

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"I’m happy to be out here on a football field. There was no internal bleeding [nothing] that was raising suspicion. I cleared everything and I was able to get back out.”

Watson revealed he had been able to keep track of the game while in hospital. “One of the doctors had his phone out, so I was watching the play-by-play,” he said.

The 27-year-old then described his return to the field as "surreal", after receiving a warm reception from Packers fans at Lambeau Field.

He also praised quarterback Love and head coach Matt LaFleur for showing confidence in him by targeting him with a deep pass on his first play back. "I'm thankful for the confidence Jordan and Matt have in me to take a shot on me on the first play back out there. I appreciate that. It was exciting for sure," he added.

Watson said he was feeling good after the incident but would wear extra padding around his ribs during the Packers' break before their next game. He added that he expected to be ready to play next week.

Carolina cut Green Bay's lead to 27-19 in the third quarter when Bryce Young found Jalen Coker for a 26-yard touchdown on fourth-and-three with 5:37 remaining. However, Young's attempt to convert the two-point play was unsuccessful.

The Panthers regained possession at their own 45-yard line but turned the ball over on downs at midfield with 2:41 left.

They had one final opportunity from their own 20 with just 22 seconds remaining and no timeouts, but Dani Dennis-Sutton's sack ended their hopes of a comeback.

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Source: “AOL Sports”