JUNE 9: Watson’s new deal has a base value of $97.5MM, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. Keeping in line with standard Packers contracts, the $31MM signing bonus represents the only fully guaranteed money in the pact. As detailed by Over the Cap, per-game roster bonuses total $8.5MM over the course of the extension; incentives are present as well.
If Watson is on the roster by the third day of the 2028 league year, he will collect a $13MM roster bonus. A decision on that front will be key, as his cap charge will jump to $24.54MM that year (compared to $11.54MM in 2027).
JUNE 4: Last offseason, Christian Watson and the Packers agreed to a one-year extension. Another new deal has been worked out, and this time around a long-term commitment has been made.
Watson has agreed to a four-year extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This is a $110.5MM deal, he adds. The Packers have included a $31MM signing bonus in this contract, which will keep Watson on the books through 2030.
Injuries have been a concern throughout Watson’s NFL career. The former second-rounder was limited to 10 games during the regular season in 2025, although he also played in Green Bay’s wild-card loss. Watson was productive when on the field, totaling six touchdowns and maintaining a strong yards per catch average. The Packers clearly saw enough this past season to authorize a lucrative investment.
In March, Watson was named as one of several young members of Green Bay’s core who could be in line for an extension. One month later, general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed a long-term deal was indeed a priority for the team. With plenty of time to spare before training camp, an agreement has now been reached. This represents the second big-money deal worked out with a receiver this spring in the case of Green Bay.
Jayden Reed agreed to an extension of his own shortly before the second day of the draft. That pact ensures he will remain in place through 2029 and carries an average annual value of $16.75MM. Watson’s new deal confirms he will be a focal point on offense for the foreseeable future as well. Tight end Tucker Kraft has yet to line up a second contract, but he may represent Green Bay’s next priority.
Watson has secured an AAV of $27.63MM on this latest extension. The 27-year-old will thus slot in just outside the top 15 in the NFL with respect to receiver compensation on an annual basis. Continued absences due to injuries could of course limit the success of this commitment, and Watson has yet to top 620 yards in a season. Nevertheless, he has averaged 17 yards per reception over the course of his career, and remaining one of the league’s top vertical threats would be critical for the Packers’ offense moving forward.
The 2026 offseason has seen Romeo Doubs depart in free agency, while Dontayvion Wicks was traded to the Eagles in April. Those absences will thin out a receiver room on a Green Bay team which added Matthew Golden in the first round in 2025 but did not make any draft investments this year. Watson, Reed and Golden will be counted on to operate as key figures for years to come as part of the Packers’ efforts to make a deep playoff run.
This makes the Alec Pierce contract look good.
He can’t stay healthy, good luck with that contract! Shoutout to his agent.
Has failed to top 650 yards in any season and gets $27.5 mil a year.
Big IF but IF he plays like he did last year and stays on the field for 17 games this contract will be a bargain.
I hope he stays on the field.
His agent deserves a lambo for squeezing this contract out of packers front office. My 5 year old niece has played more nfl games than watson
Well I knew Arthur Blank and the Falcons were looking to rebuild and get younger but adding a 5 year old to the roster seems like a bit of a reach 🙂
What are you even talking about? It’s not a Falcons deal, and they aren’t rebuilding. Try to focus.
crosseyedlemon is responding to SentinelATL’s post above it. It’s a joke.
Amazing move. Minimal guaranteed money for a player who absolutely changes the offense when on the field.
And? If it doesn’t work out and you cut him in two years, the dead hit will be peanuts compared to the cap.
Anyone who thinks it’s a bad deal doesn’t know football.
Lol what? First of all, where are you even seeing those details?
Second, last year was the first year he looked like an actual legit WR, let alone one who should get this kind of money.
So you’re saying a young player developed into a legitimate player?
As for the numbers: $31m signing bonus, it’s an extension so that’s split across five years, since it’s the Packers it’s safe to assume no other guaranteed money is on the deal.
$6.2m is already counted this year, another $6.2m counted next year, subtract those from the $31m, you’ve got $18.6m in dead money for 2028. That will be about 5% of the estimated 2028 cap, a pretty tolerable amount. Post June 1 cut would drop it to about 3%.
So…if he gets hurt it’s pretty team friendly. If he plays well then he’s scheduled to make bank. Both sides win.
Young? He’s 27 and has been a featured #1 his entire career when healthy.
I’m not sure when the last time was that I saw a WR who is over 26 and has never had a 650+ receiving yard season even when playing 14 and 15 games get paid like this.
Ah so you’re ASSUMING only the signing bonus is guaranteed rather than actually knowing.
Maybe you shouldn’t accuse people of not knowing football when all of your arguments are based off of assumptions and possibilities.
Packers notoriously dont give out guarantees in any other forms other than signing bonus. The list of exceptions are like aaron rodgers, jordan love and micah parsons.
I was assuming in the same way that we assume the Earth revolves around the sun.
Sorry your feelings were hurt when you read my initial comment and assumed it was aimed at you.
Sorry you have to insult people unnecessarily to try to make your point that’s entirely based on assumptions and possibilities.
That’s pretty weak to me.
LOL you’re embarrassing yourself again Notimportant
SoxRewl: Anyone who thinks it’s a bad deal doesn’t know football.
Notimportant: it’s a bad deal! No facts no knowledge just an opinion
SoxRewl: literally breaks down how extensions work how it works financially provides numbers percentages and relation to cap
Not important: “ make your point that’s entirely based on assumptions and possibilities.”
LOL SoxRewl owned you. Man you’re stacking up loss after loss sheeeeeesh.
LOL yeah that’s it. It’s just one guy proving you wrong all the time. Couldn’t possibly be you’re just wrong often and multiple people notice and point out why you’re wrong often. Common denominator is you buddy.
By that logic you must be kidfavre4. Same argument same comment. Weird. So you must be the same account. Well the kid part is starting to make sense.
You just don’t know football.
You were right SoxRewl
Nailed it on the head. Only guaranteed money was the signing bonus
You definitely know your stuff.
Insane work logging into a burner bro. Get help.
Yeah that’s it. Burner account.
If you’re this paranoid you should see your doctor about it and get meds immediately looney toons
Even if he’s never missed a game and you go off stats alone….. Amazing isn’t what I first thought.
This is an insane amount of money.
But an easy out after year 2. This contract certainly follows the old adage: “the only money that matters in an NFL contract is the guaranteed money,” of which there’s very little here.
Massive Overpay…
Can anybody tell me what kind of plan the Packers are using? Paying two absolutely mediocre WRs while not possessing any kind of pass rush? Now that Josh Jacobs went off the rails, who is toting the rock? The worst thing you can do in the NFL is ride the mid train, and the Packers have a ticket on the 7/10-8/9 express.
I don’t think Reed is mediocre. I think he’s a really talented and versatile weapon.
But he is often hurt.
Never got over 800 yards? Absolutely mid to low mid
He’s a guy who’s used in a variety of ways, is very shifty and elusive, and can change a game.
You can’t judge a guy who’s never been a #1 for never having a certain amount of yards in an offense that doesn’t exactly air it out.
never hit over 700 yards in 4 years.. sheesh
A few games at a time he looks like a $30 million a year receiver. More often he’s looked like a unique specimen for UW’s med school to study. I’d be hesitant to bet too heavily on him given his health struggles, but I get the sense the actual guarantees here aren’t going to be nearly as eye popping as the total theoretical value.
MASSIVE OVERPAY. Made of glass.
Guarantee seems low enough that they can get off of him if the injuries continue.
Watson has always had a good attitude and been a team player. While his health has been a concern, he has been undergoing evaluation and treatment at the University of Wisconsin to get his hamstring issue under control. Talent-wise, the kid is exceptional. Health-wise has been questionable. Attitude-wise he’s been great. If they feel that they’ve got the health concerns addressed now, this makes a lot of sense.
Doubs had health issues with concussions and had attitude issues when he skipped practice on his own one day and got a one-day suspension for it. While the Packers expressed an interest in bringing him back, I don’t know that the feeling was mutual or that the offer would have been high enough. Doubs was not going to get Watson or Reed type of money to remain in Green Bay. Doubs moving on just left more for Reed and Watson.
Doubs was also their playoff receiver. Watson and Reed have to be healthy and ready to go IF the team reaches postseason. I say both receivers start no more than ten games. Lets hope they start more, especially when Parsons is healthy.
As a senior it’s a challenge to keep up with changing trends. Back in the day we would go to a hospital for treatment of a hamstring and to the university for some education but I guess the reverse is now the trend.
It’s the way medicine is changing. Back in the day, the counties funded the medical centers. Now, it seems that all of the main funding goes through university-affiliated research hospitals.
In Watson’s case, the NFL gave sports medicine grants to university hospitals in some of the markets of NFL teams to study specific injuries, no doubt at the request of the teams in that market. This was a few years ago. The University of Wisconsin was selected for a grant to study and treat hamstring injuries. Was it just a coincidence that Christian Watson and Eric Stokes were both battling hamstring injuries and needed to be seen by specialists? None whatsoever. [They did find out that Watson had one hamstring longer than the other and had to do some form of therapy in order to either get them close to the same size or get him to learn how to make adjustments to compensate, I can’t remember which it was.]
If he stays healthy it’s a great deal because he definitely has the talent. If he doesn’t then it isn’t. Everybody trying to say its a good move or an overpay is just blabbing. Time will tell on this one.
That’s a lot of money for a guy that’s injured so much.
That’s a lot of cheese for an average WR. Hasn’t played a full season yet nor gained over 620 yards in any of them.
Thrilled with this for both parties!
lol
link to bsky.app
Wow, Nagler and a whopping 3 randos agree with your stance. That’s a solid endorsement of your position.
Meh. It’s true. If you actually watch the games and don’t box score scout. You’d see the value in this contract. Thats the MLF offense like it or not
Too many fantasy football players are fans.
Now he just needs a QB. Even your best player admits Williams is better. LMAO
Oye that’s embarrassing, Mike. Watch the full clip, he did not say that.
And it’s too late to edit your comment.
Why would I edit it?
link to bearswire.usatoday.com
The odds.
The odds of him starting all 17 games?
I put it at 40% I think if he starts 10-12 games it’ll be a massive massive massive plus for the packers. I just don’t have the confidence in him to start all 17 games. He’s made of glass. Prove me wrong Watson
These NFL contracts have gotten just as bad as the NBA and MLB contracts. Giving bums and injury prone players 100 million.
You make it sound like Watson held a gun to their heads. They could have let him hit FA. Selling your talents to the highest bidder, you do know that’s how capitalism works?
As a Bears fan this contract makes me very happy.
Then you’re foolish. Look under the hood.
link to acmepackingcompany.com