Packers' Sammy Watkins: Removed from IR, resumes practice

Watkins (hamstring) is expected to rejoin the Packers for practice Wednesday, but head coach Matt LaFleur cautioned that the wideout won't necessarily play Sunday against the Commanders, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Watkins missed the past four games but was able to run routes on the field during pregame warmups ahead of the 27-10 loss to New York this past Sunday. Slot receiver Randall Cobb is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks after spraining his ankle in the loss, potentially opening the door for Watkins to occupy a top-three role without displacing Allen Lazard or Romeo Doubs. The other options would be Christian Watson (who missed Weeks 3 and 6 with a hamstring injury), or else Amari Rodgers or Samori Toure. Even if Green Bay chooses not to activate Watkins from injured reserve Week 7, the Packers would still have two more weeks to evaluate him in practice before deciding whether to add him back to the 53-man roster or to keep him on IR for the rest of the season.