Christian Watson continues to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered during the 2024 regular season finale. While the Packers wideout isn’t expected to take the field until at least next month, the team is still rewarding him with a new contract.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers have signed Watson to a one-year, $13.25MM extension. The receiver was set to play the 2025 campaign on the final year of his rookie deal, but this extension will now keep him in Green Bay through at least the 2026 season. According to Schefter, the Packers wanted Watson to focus on his return from injury in 2025 vs. his impending free agent, leading to today’s deal.
A former second-round pick, Watson spent his rookie campaign playing alongside Aaron Rodgers, with his nine touchdowns and 691 yards from scrimmage still representing career-highs. He’s spent the past two seasons serving as one of Jordan Love‘s key targets, but Watson has yet to truly break out like the organization may have expected.
The receiver averaged a career-high 46.9 yards per game during the 2023 season, but he was limited to only nine appearances thanks to a pesky hamstring issue. He got into a career-high 15 games last season, but he was limited to a career-low 41.3 yards per game and 47.2 success rate. Watson suffered a torn ACL in Week 18, and considering the timing, it was always expected that his recovery time would leak into the 2025 campaign.
That ended up being the case, as Watson landed on the PUP list to begin this season. He’ll be forced to miss the first four games, but there’s a chance he’s back shortly after he becomes eligible. The last we heard, Watson was a candidate to return as early as Week 5, but considering the team’s receiving depth, the Packers may not feel any urgency to immediately get him back on the field.
That depth has also clouded Watson’s future in Green Bay, although today’s one-year extension is somewhat a vote of confidence. Watson finished the 2024 season as the fourth-most targeted WR in Green Bay, and each of the three wideouts ahead of him —Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs — are still on the roster (not to mention TE Tucker Kraft, who has emerged as one of Love’s favorite weapons). The team also added rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden and rookie third-round pick Savion Williams to the squad.
Notably, Watson is the oldest player in the receivers room. While his extension gives him a better chance of carving out a long-term role with the Packers, it seems likelier than not that the 2026 campaign could be his final season in Green Bay.
Why
Because they don’t want him to walk at the end of the year. They like him.
More like they are worried he goes somewhere else and takes off. He has already missed more than a quarter of the possible games in his career.
13 million for a wr with his talent is a bargain. But……
He disappears for games at a time and is only ever active for half the year. Next two season are going to tell if he’s a 25+million a year wr, or if he’s gonna get another 1 year prove it deal. He was smart to take what they offered right now though.
It’s a pretty savvy move if you think about it. It’s better to have him perform well so he yields a better compensatory pick. He probably wouldn’t get a big FA contract this summer because of the lack of games. For the franchise it’s low risk, high reward. For the player, he can focus on rehab and play out his prove it deal. Or if he balls out, they may decide to keep him.
Low cost deal with other WRs on expiring deals. Not the worst deal to make.
This could easily be a bad deal but only time will tell.
There’s no such thing as a bad 1 year deal
The Jets with Reddick and Eagles with Huff would like a word …
It’s ONLY one year. Even if he tears his acl in 8 weeks and misses 3 quarters of next season, it’s still not a “bad deal”for a starting wr on a one year deal.
Lmao he’s never healthy
This makes a ton of sense for both parties. It’s not a ton of money considering the WR market now, and likely is only the one year extension. I’d be very surprised if he is a Packer come March 2027.
The Packers want him healthy at the end of the year. Him with Golden, Kraft, Reed on the field? Look out. And the compensatory pick will be better after 2026 – by the time Savion Williams is ready. He was very raw coming in.
And Watson wants some career guarantees at least. He knows he will make more money in a longer term deal playing well at the end of this year and next year.