The Green Bay Packers came out swinging in Week 1 to take a dominant win over the two-time defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions.
While the offense had a strong start to the season, they were missing one piece in the wide receiving corps: Christian Watson.
The former second-round pick is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the regular season finale against Chicago last season. Still, the franchise opted to sign Watson to a one-year extension worth $13.25 million, per multiple reports.
Watson is still weeks away from a return to the field but the Packers are banking on a solid return.
Green Bay selected Watson in the second round, No. 34 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State. Watson had 611 receiving yards and a career-best nine total touchdowns in his rookie season, but he has since struggled to stay healthy in Green Bay.
Watson dealt with a nagging hamstring injury to start the 2023 season. Ultimately, he played in just nine games, tallying 422 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his sophomore season.
He was inactive for two games in 2024 before his ACL tear in Week 18. In 15 games of action, Watson had 29 receptions, 620 yards and a career-low two touchdowns.
This is the final year of Watson’s rookie contract and he was set to hit free agency after the season. This deal keeps him with the Packers at a low cost: $13.25 million puts him on par with fellow 2022 draftee Khalil Shakir’s average annual value (AAV), per OverTheCap.
Packers WR depth chart
Even with Watson out, the Packers are well-stocked at the wide receiver position. The franchise selected Matthew Golden with its first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has multiple young players at the position.
Here’s how things look entering Week 2:
- Romeo Doubs
- Matthew Golden
- Jayden Reed
- Savion Williams
- Malik Heath
- Dontayvion Wicks
Green Bay also has wide receivers Mecole Hardman, Will Sheppard and Isaiah Neyor signed to the practice squad.