Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson left Lambeau Field by ambulance during the second quarter of Thursday's game against the Carolina Panthers after landing awkwardly on a 53-yard catch and spitting up blood on the sideline.

ESPN's Rob Demovsky reports the ambulance left shortly before 8:30 p.m. local time with Watson in full pads, and by 9:19 p.m. he had run back down the tunnel to the sideline — a round trip shorter than the hour he guessed.

With 6:56 left in the third quarter, TV cameras tracked him the entire way as fans cheered. According to ESPN and packers.com, Watson later compared the experience to watching WWE Smackdown as a kid.

The surprise is not just the injury but the return: multiple outlets note no Packers player in the locker room could recall anyone leaving a stadium in an ambulance and playing again in the same game.

heavy.com quotes quarterback Jordan Love calling the moment crazy and saying Watson looked 'resurrected' as he ran back out. Running back Josh Jacobs, per ESPN, called it a first for him.

Safety Xavier McKinney told reporters, as packers.com reports, that the display showed resiliency, toughness, and love for the team — especially since Watson had already hit 100 yards before leaving.

The hospital workup explains both the scare and the clearance.

ESPN reports Watson coughed up blood, had an X-ray showing a broken rib, and underwent a CT scan and blood tests; when scans and bloodwork showed no internal bleeding or additional issues, he decided before even leaving the hospital that he would go back out.

Bleacher Report's Andrew Peters writes that the rib injury will still be something to monitor over the next week as the Packers ensure he is fully healthy before the next game. Pack writer Wes Hodkiewicz, on packers.com, notes Watson wore a molded pad around his ribs after returning.

Watson finished the 27-19 win with a career-best eight catches for 113 yards, and multiple outlets agree he had 100 of those yards before exiting.

ESPN adds the 53-yard catch was his third 100-yard game of the season, and packers.com reports he became the first Packers receiver since Jordy Nelson in 2013 to reach 40-plus catches, 700-plus yards, six-plus touchdowns, and a 16.5-plus average through eight games.

Head coach Matt LaFleur's reaction became its own storyline across the pack. Bleacher Report and ESPN both quote him marveling at 'the grit to go back in the game,' calling it a heck of a night and saying he can't imagine what Watson would have had without missing so much time.

Watson himself, quoted by packers.com, said the chance to return meant everything after past injuries kept him off the field for long stretches, vowing that any chance he gets to play, he will play.

Love's postgame message, per heavy.com, stressed how impressed he was with Watson's commitment to the team.

The win moved the Packers to a 27-19 result over Carolina, and heavy.com reports Green Bay now gets a mini bye before a Week 9 matchup with the New England Patriots on Nov. 8 — a game it says could pair two 5-3 teams as playoff pushes begin.

heavy.com also notes players like Micah Parsons are close to returning as the second half begins.

Other game notes from packers.com: linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper posted eight tackles, a sack, and an interception — the first Packers defender with that combo since Charles Woodson in 2009 — while the defense logged a season-high six sacks.