Watkins capitalizing on his new opportunity with Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sammy Watkins has wasted no time showing he remains a deep threat in his ninth NFL season.

He also has shown that catching passes isn’t the only way he can contribute.

Watkins is Green Bay’s leading receiver as the Packers (1-1) prepare to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The 29-year-old has revealed glimpses of the form he showed earlier in his career to help Green Bay adapt to the absence of two-time All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, who’s now with the Las Vegas Raiders.

“He loves ball,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “He cares about it. You realize how special this opportunity is for him, and we want him to have success and to be able for this to be a trampoline for the second half of his career.”

Watkins caught three passes for 93 yards in a 27-10 triumph over the Chicago Bears and helped seal the victory with a 55-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

“That I think was one of my top plays from the last two or three years to go deep on that pass, so it felt really good,” Watkins said after the game.

Indeed, it was his longest gain since a 68-yard catch for the Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville on Sept 8, 2019. Watkins had as many as 93 yards receiving in a game just one other time since 2020, when he caught eight passes for 96 yards in the Baltimore Ravens’ 33-27 loss at Las Vegas on Sept. 14, 2021.

That underscores how much an assortment of injuries had impacted Watkins, the former Clemson star who went fourth overall in the 2014 draft.

Watkins had a combined 15 touchdown catches for Buffalo his first two seasons in the league, getting 982 yards receiving as a rookie and 1,047 in 2015.

He had eight touchdown catches in 2017 with the Los Angeles