NFL Week 15 Injury Fallout: Mahomes, Parsons Go Down; Watson Avoids Major Setback
Week 15 delivered a gut punch to several NFL teams, with injuries shaking up playoff races and reshaping expectations down the stretch. The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, both in the thick of postseason contention, suffered potentially season-altering blows on Sunday. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in a devastating development for Kansas City’s title hopes, while Green Bay’s standout pass rusher Micah Parsons is feared to have suffered the same injury.
For the Packers, the defensive loss is massive - but there was at least one silver lining on the offensive side. Wide receiver Christian Watson, who left Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos with a chest or shoulder injury, appears to have avoided serious damage. According to NFL Media, Watson’s injury isn’t considered major, though it’s still unclear whether he’ll miss time.
Watson was injured in the third quarter while trying to haul in a deep ball from quarterback Jordan Love. At the time, he had already logged three catches for 29 yards.
The play marked a turning point in the game - and not just because of the injury. On the very next drive, Broncos corner Patrick Surtain II picked off Love, and from there, Denver seized control.
That moment flipped the script. After scoring 23 points on their first five possessions, the Packers managed just three the rest of the way. Denver, meanwhile, closed the game on a 20-3 run, capitalizing on Green Bay’s stalled offense and mounting pressure.
Watson’s absence was felt immediately, and that’s no surprise. He came into Week 15 on a tear, with five touchdown receptions over his previous four games.
His Week 14 performance against the Bears was his best of the season - four catches, 89 yards, and two scores on just four targets. It was the kind of efficiency and explosiveness the Packers envisioned when they drafted him, and he was starting to deliver in a big way.
On the season, Watson has 28 receptions for 481 yards and five touchdowns - numbers that don’t jump off the page but reflect a player who’s been heating up at the right time. His ability to stretch the field and create mismatches has opened things up for the rest of Green Bay’s young receiving corps, and his chemistry with Love has steadily improved.
The bigger concern now lies on the defensive side. Losing Parsons - one of the league’s premier pass rushers - is a crushing blow.
His ability to disrupt opposing quarterbacks has been central to the Packers’ defensive identity. Without him, Green Bay will need others to step up in a hurry, especially with the playoff race tightening.
Sunday’s loss to Denver dropped the Packers from the No. 2 seed in the NFC all the way to No. 7.
It’s a steep fall, but the season is far from over. According to SportsLine projections, Green Bay still holds an 89% chance to make the playoffs and a 47.7% shot at winning the NFC North.
Next up? A primetime rematch with the Bears in Chicago on Saturday night - a rivalry game with serious playoff implications.
With Mahomes out in Kansas City and Parsons likely done for the year, the margin for error across the league just got thinner. For the Packers, the path forward will depend on how fast Watson can get back on the field - and how the defense adjusts without its most dynamic playmaker.