Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Christian Watson landed on the football and was coughing up blood before the team sent him to a hospital during Thursday night’s 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers.

“It’s pretty remarkable,” LaFleur said.

“He landed on the ball, I believe that’s what I was told, and he was coughing up blood. 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,” LaFleur continued. “He had a heck of a night, and I just can’t imagine what he would have had he not missed so much time.”

The play was a 53-yard completion from Jordan Love in the second quarter. Watson left Lambeau Field by ambulance not long after and returned late in the third quarter.

Green Bay outscored Carolina 21-3 while he was gone. Josh Jacobs scored twice in that stretch, once on a 1-yard run and once on a 4-yard catch from Love. Matthew Golden caught the other touchdown with 1:46 left in the first half.

Savion Williams took an end-around 18 yards to the Carolina 8 on the drive Watson left, the longest run of his career.

Watson had 100 of his 113 yards before the ambulance ride.

Rob Demovsky of ESPN reported that Watson said he broke a rib on the play.

Watson had six catches before he left, Demovsky reported, and caught two more after his return.

Watson entered Thursday with six touchdown catches this season. The Packers signed him to a four-year extension through 2030 on June 4, with a $31 million signing bonus.

Green Bay also sent Watson to a hospital from Denver on Dec. 14, 2025, for a CT scan after Patrick Surtain II fell on him during an interception. He did not return to that 34-26 loss.

Watson gets 10 days before the Green Bay Packers, now 5-3, visit the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. CT.