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Christian Watson

Packers Open WR Christian Watson’s Practice Window

October 6th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Coming off their bye, the Packers could have a key offensive contributor in the fold soon. Wideout Christian Watson has returned to practice, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes.

Last week, head coach Matt LaFleur said (via Demovsky) the team was discussing opening Watson’s practice window right after the bye. Today’s news comes as no surprise as a result. The Packers now have 21 days to activate Watson from the reserve/PUP list.

An ACL tear ended the 26-year-old’s 2024 campaign. Watson has been rehabbing the injury since then, and he expressed optimism last month in his ability to return to practice when first eligible to do so. That would have meant having his window opened last week, but in any event today’s update is an encouraging sign. Watson will be expected to handle a notable role upon activation, especially with Jayden Reed recovering from multiple surgeries.

Injuries have prevented Watson from playing a full season to date in his career. The former second-rounder nevertheless signed an $11MM deal this offseason to ensure he will not depart in free agency during the spring. Watson’s ability to receive a longer commitment from Green Bay will obviously be tied to his health and the extent to which he can duplicate last season’s success. Prior to his Week 18 ACL tear, the North Dakota State alum posted a career-best 620 yards while averaging 21.4 yards per reception.

Much of the Packers’ long-term plans at the receiver spot remains uncertain. Romeo Doubs (who is currently in the final year of his rookie pact) could be playing his way into an extension, while Reed will be eligible for a second contract after this season. Part of the team’s decisions on those fronts will no doubt be influenced by Watson and his role in the passing game upon returning to action this season.

In other injury news, offensive lineman Jacob Monk has also had his 21-day activation window opened (h/t Demovsky). Monk was moved to injured reserve during roster cutdowns while being designated for return. As a result, he (along with running back MarShawn Lloyd) already counts toward Green Bay’s total in terms of IR activations for the year. Monk could join Watson on the Packers’ gameday roster as early as Week 6 depending on how the next few days play out.

Packers’ Christian Watson Expects To Practice When First Eligible

September 16th, 2025 at 5:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers entered the season with a deep receiving corps, but two of those players are unavailable. Jayden Reed has landed on IR due to a broken collarbone; the third-year wideout joins Christian Watson as sidelined Packer pass catchers.

Long expected to begin the season on the shelf — because of a Week 18 ACL tear — Watson has since signed a one-year, $11MM extension ($6.1MM guaranteed). That illustrates some faith on Green Bay’s part, though the team could be landing a potential bargain considering the value the former second-round pick would have brought as a 2026 free agent without the injury in the equation. And Watson looks to be moving closer to recovering from that setback.

The fourth-year weapon said (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) he expects to see his practice window opened when first eligible. That would mean a Week 5 return to practice, but since the Packers have a bye that week, the North Dakota State product would have at least another week to prepare for a return. Though, the Packers could also slow-play the recovery process; they are typically cautious when it comes to injury returns.

Watson is also no longer a contract-year asset; the organization making a 2026 commitment would further point to caution. This offseason, a midseason return was floated as likely for Watson. If the Packers open his IR-return window in Week 5, he would need to be activated by Week 8. That would align with a midseason timetable. It could also be possible the Pack activate Watson but continue to ramp him up in practice without turning to him in a game.

Reed was to be a key part of Green Bay’s receiving corps, even after the team used first- and third-round picks on Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. The latter will need to play a bigger role for the Pack, who still have Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks as healthy pieces at receiver. Watson will likely be back during Reed’s absence, which opens the door for some help after the team’s 2023 and ’24 leading receiver rehabs two injuries (Reed also had attempted to play through a foot fracture to start the season).

While Watson and Reed’s skillsets do not overlap much, the period when both are available will crowd the team’s receiving corps. That would be a good problem to have for Green Bay, which has not seen a 1,000-yard season since trading Davante Adams. Watson also has not shown he can be counted on, having missed 13 games during his first three seasons. The deep threat does have two 600-plus-yard years on his resume, but the Packers were expecting more when they took him 34th overall in 2022. Watson saw a hamstring specialist during the 2024 offseason but also missed time with a high ankle sprain last year.

Unique Details In Recent WR Extensions

September 12th, 2025 at 9:39pm CST by Ely Allen

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Commanders and Packers agree to extensions with top receivers. Terry McLaurin was able to cease a hold-in after finally receiving a deal worth signing, while a recovering Christian Watson signed a deal pushing back his eventual free agency another year into the future. Each deal, though, held a unique aspect worth discussing.

We already covered several details of the extension that adds $87MM of new money to the 29-year-old McLaurin’s deal. New information comes in the form of incentives and some structure in the timing of payments. In each year through 2028, he’ll have the same three performance incentives. 83 receptions will net him $300K, 1,097 yards will net him another $300K, 10 touchdowns will net him another $300K, and making the playoffs will double any of the qualified bonuses to $600K.

A Pro Bowl bid will earn McLaurin $250K extra in each season, but first- or second-team All-Pro honors would trigger a $500K escalator, increasing his salary in the following season by that amount. He’ll be able to get $500K in each of the three news seasons for participating in voluntary offseason workouts, and for the next four years, he’ll have the potential to make $850K per season in per game active roster bonuses.

What makes this deal interesting, as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer points out, is that the language of the deal poses it more as a two-year commitment. There is a $5.35MM injury guarantee for the 2027 season, but it doesn’t vest until April 1 of that year, so that day becomes a deadline for deciding whether or not to exercise what essentially become team options in ’27 and ’28. McLaurin had been seeking a big raise, but Washington had balked at the idea of giving him $30MM per year. Essentially, McLaurin gets his big raise for the next two years but little security in the following two.

The Packers agreed to extend Watson as they wait for him to come off the reserve/physically unable to perform list. The deal, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, includes the opportunity to make up to $1.83MM in per game active roster bonuses and $2.25MM in incentives, not to mention workout bonuses in each of the next two seasons.

Where the deal gets interesting here is the team’s decision to add three effective voidable years from 2027-29. Whereas voidable years are often utilized to spread cap hits out over a longer amount of time, these void years increase Watson’s 2025 cap impact. Per Ken Ingalls of Sports Illustrated, the void years allow Green Bay to circumvent the 12-month renegotiation waiting period, allowing them to potentially work out another extension for Watson next season. Ingalls claims it also makes Watson’s contract easily tradable in the case that he asks for a bigger raise next year and the Packers refuse.

Both deals are interesting innovations as each franchise got creative in their attempts to keep their players happy in the moment, while keeping the teams’ financial futures intact. We’re sure to see continued evolution of how front offices confront and structure contracts in ways that have not often been seen.

Packers Sign Christian Watson To Extension

September 10th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Ben Levine

SEPTEMBER 10: The base value of Watson’s new deal is $11MM, ensuring roughly $13MM in total compensation across the next two seasons (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). $6MM in new guarantees are included, all in the form of a signing bonus. A $1.85MM roster bonus is present for 2026 as well.

SEPTEMBER 9: 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 agency, 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.

Packers Make Cuts, Set Initial 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Packers announced their initial 53-man roster as well as the following transactions:

Released

Waived

Placed on IR (designation to return)

Placed on IR

Placed on reserve/PUP

Despite his struggles to carve out a role in the NFL, Simmons made the 53-man roster in each of his first five seasons after the Cardinals selected him with the No. 8 pick in 2020. That streak has come to an end in Green Bay with his release today.

Alexandre is expected to return to the Packers’ practice squad if he clears waivers, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood, who places Banks in the same category.

Lloyd suffered a groin injury early in training camp and a hamstring injury more recently, which will land him on IR and sideline him for at least four weeks. Monk, though to be the team’s backup center, will also be out for a minimum of four weeks.

Christian Watson Likely To Land On Packers’ Reserve/PUP List; Jayden Reed Uncertain To Play In Week 1?

August 12th, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Rory Parks

AUGUST 12: When speaking to the media on Tuesday, Gutekunst confirmed (via USA Today’s Ryan Wood) Watson is expected to begin the season with a reserve/PUP designation. He added, though, a return as early as Week 5 could be in store given Watson’s steady progress in the rehab process.

AUGUST 10: Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is expected to be among Green Bay’s top pass catchers in 2025, just as he has been over each of his first two years in the league. Unfortunately, he is dealing with an injury that could jeopardize his availability for the start of the season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter says Reed is in a walking boot due to a sprained foot, and one source described his status as “day to day.” When asked about Reed following his team’s first preseason contest on Saturday, head coach Matt LaFleur said he hoped Reed would be on the field for Week 1. He added, however, “any time you see a guy in a boot that’s a concern” (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky).

Reed, a 2023 second-round pick, has produced a 17-game triple-slash average of 61/850/7 through the first half of his rookie deal, thus proving his importance to the Packers’ Jordan Love-led offense. He did struggle with drops (nine) in 2024, but after agent Drew Rosenhaus approached Packers GM Brian Gutekunst with questions about Reed’s role in the wake of Green Bay’s significant investment in the WR position in April’s draft, LaFleur suggested there should be no such concerns in that regard.

The rookie wideouts, Matthew Golden (first round) and Savion Williams (third) could be especially important in the early stages of the season if Reed is forced to miss time. Deep threat Christian Watson was already expected to be sidelined, perhaps until midseason, as a result of the ACL tear he sustained at the end of the 2024 campaign.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms Watson is expected to be placed on the reserve/PUP list at the end of training camp, which would force the contract-year receiver to miss at least the first four games of the 2025 schedule. While both Fowler and Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official website acknowledge Watson is moving well and has shown no lingering effects from his injury, Hodkiewicz cautions Watson is not “going full blast” just yet. Green Bay will exercise patience here, a decision made easier by Golden’s standout camp.

The news is better for linebacker Quay Walker, who will again serve as a starter in the middle of the Green Bay defense. Since the club declined Walker’s fifth-year option – which was not surprising, as the fifth-year number for all linebackers is inflated by the salaries of outside linebackers who rush the passer – Walker is, like Watson, entering a platform season.

Walker opened training camp on the PUP list, and though he was activated on July 23, he had not taken part in 11-on-11 drills until a few days ago. As Demovsky writes, Walker has returned to full participation after dealing with an ankle injury that impacted him most of last year and that caused him to miss the final three regular season games of 2024.

Walker, 25, underwent surgery on the ankle in late May, per Demovsky. Given his camp status, it sounds as if he has made a full recovery, and Gutekunst has expressed a desire to keep the 2022 first-rounder on the club for the foreseeable future. Player and team have recently engaged in extension talks.

Packers Holding LT Competition; Latest On Elgton Jenkins

July 25th, 2025 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zach Tom‘s four-year, $88MM extension affirmed the right tackle’s status as a cornerstone Packer, but a question about the team’s direction at left tackle remains. A position battle is ongoing.

Rasheed Walker will need to hold off 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan for the job, Brian Gutekunst said. The eighth-year Green Bay GM called this (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky) an open competition but pointed to Walker’s 32 starts as a reason he is the frontrunner for the gig.

On the surface, a former seventh-round pick competing with a priority add (via the 2024 first round) is odd. But Walker has proven to be a late-round find for Green Bay. Pro Football Focus graded the former No. 249 overall pick just outside the top 40 in each of the past two years, after he played in just one game as a 2022 rookie.

Walker’s rookie deal expires after the season, and with two big-ticket O-line payments (to Tom and Aaron Banks) made this year, a free agency path appears clear. Morgan also could be in line to take over at LT in 2026, provided he cannot unseat Walker in training camp. This would set up Walker, with a good contract year, to be one of the 2026 market’s top prizes. He started 15 regular-season games in 2023 and all 17 last season.

A decorated left tackle at Arizona, Morgan split time between left and right guard as a rookie. His injury-shortened season included 120 RG snaps and 65 on the left side, but the former No. 25 overall pick did not see too much action last season. Sean Rhyan operated as the Packers’ primary right guard; the former third-round pick is now in a contract year. Morgan working as a swingman in Year 2 would suggest something is off here, but it also could be possible he loses this competition but unseats Rhyan at RG.

The Morgan-at-right guard plan is technically on the Packers’ back burner, but Elgton Jenkins‘ back injury slid Rhyan to center and allowed Morgan reps at RG, per Channel3000.com’s Jason Wilde. Rhyan said (via Wilde) he believed he has solidified himself as a starting guard. In 543 snaps last season, PFF ranked him 46th among guard regulars. It would surprise if Morgan did not have another chance to crack the starting lineup, but Rhyan would stand in his way if the high-level investment cannot beat out Walker at LT.

Shifted from left guard to center this offseason, Jenkins does not appear in danger of missing regular-season time. Gutekunst hopes the Pro Bowler returns soon, though the team is dealing with a frustrated new snapper thanks to a contract issue.

Jenkins, who has played all over Green Bay’s line, expressed frustration with his deal now that Banks supplanted him as the Packers’ highest-paid blocker. Tom eclipsed both last week. Jenkins is on the Pack’s active/NFI list, meaning he sustained the injury away from the team facility. No guarantees remain on Jenkins’ four-year, $68MM extension — one that runs through the 2026 season.

Additionally, the Packers confirmed (via the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Ryan Wood) they are playing it safe with Christian Watson‘s ACL rehab. Not expected back until around midseason, the contract-year wide receiver will not go through a full practice during training camp. This makes him a clear candidate for the reserve/PUP list, which would bring at least a four-game absence. Gutekunst added (via Wood) Watson’s rehab has gone “great.”

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/18/25

July 18th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL transactions as we head into the weekend:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

San Francisco 49ers

The Lions have added three players to the roster today after a working them out. Bootle has had a cup of coffee with a few teams in the league after going undrafted in 2021. Small didn’t see the field at all as an undrafted rookie with the Titans last year, and Russell becomes the latest undrafted rookie free agent to sign a deal this year. His tenacity has been rewarded two and a half months after the draft.

Packers Discussed Davante Adams Reunion

May 31st, 2025 at 1:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

According to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, the team explored a reunion with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams when he became a free agent earlier this offseason.

“I think any time you have a player of that caliber, there’s definitely conversations that go into it,” LaFleur told Kay Adams last week. “Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Adams spent the first eight years of his career in Green Bay but refused to play under a franchise tag in 2022 and requested a trade to the Raiders. Since his departure, the Packers have focused on drafting and developing young receivers rather than signing expensive veterans. They selected Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in 2022 and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks in 2023; all four have emerged as reliable targets, though none have matched Adams’ production.

That led to rumors this offseason that the Packers were looking to add a veteran target to round out their room. They never made an offer for D.K. Metcalf, but Adams was apparently on their radar. Instead, they doubled down on their recent youthful strategy, drafting their first wide receiver in the first round since 2002, before that rookie from Texas, Matthew Golden, was even born.

Moving forward with the bodies they have in the building, though, requires them to start looking into new contracts for the players who have been leading the way the past few years. We saw that a week ago, when it was reported that Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, to “clarify (Reed)’s status” with the team. At the time, head coach Matt LaFleur was shocked to receive a question about Reed, pointing out how well the young receiver has done with taking Golden under his wing. LaFleur clarified earlier this week that he hadn’t been a part of the conversation between Rosenhaus and Gutekunst, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, and doubled down on Reed continuing to be an excellent leader.

Reed is also reportedly able to lead by example as “he’s good to go now,” despite not undergoing surgery this offseason. His season ended in Philadelphia with a dislocated shoulder and a partially torn labrum. Seemingly, surgery was not necessary for the injuries to heal as Reed claims it took “about four or five months” to remedy without a procedure, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today.

Another receiver attempting to come from injury is Watson, who suffered “a torn ACL and additional damage” in the final week of the regular season. The non-contact injury was initially expected to force some missed time in his 2025 campaign, but a timeline had not been generated in those earlier reports. While still unable to provide a timeline, per Demovsky, LaFleur remains optimistic, claiming that the 25-year-old is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and recovery.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

NFC North Notes: Watson, Lions, Vikings

April 4th, 2025 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

An ill-timed ACL tear could prove costly for Christian Watson. Not only is the Packers wide receiver entering a contract year, his injury occurring in January has been expected to keep him off the field into next season. A tentative timetable has emerged, with The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman pointing to a likelihood of at least a half-season absence taking place. Brian Gutekunst offered support for a potential return earlier but did not provide specifics, and the Packers are generally cautious with injury returns. Gutekunst had already confirmed Watson would miss time in 2025, which represents a key window for the injury-prone North Dakota State alum to impress ahead of a potential free agency run. His history of hamstring injuries preceding this ACL tear could well lead to a “prove it” deal taking place come 2026.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • The Lions lost Kevin Zeitler to the Titans, and GM Brad Holmes said (via Detroit Football’s Justin Rogers) a veteran guard addition and/or a rookie move is still in play. Graham Glasgow is set as a starter, while 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany appears the top internal option — barring a veteran addition or early-round draft choice. Holmes called Mahogany’s 2024 work (75 offensive snaps, one start) encourating.
  • The Eagles stood down on Isaiah Rodgers, after aiming to re-sign their post-suspension flier, after the Vikings made him a two-year, $11.1MM deal that came with $7.99MM guaranteed. Rodgers will play a regular role defensively, as Kevin O’Connell referred to the 2024 Philly rotational CB as a player ticketed for an every-down role. This would point to Rodgers having a clear runway to earn the starting job opposite re-signed CB Byron Murphy. When Murphy shifts into the slot, Jeff Okudah would be set to come off the bench and man a perimeter post, O’Connell added (via the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling).
  • Minnesota lost Camryn Bynum to Indianapolis but reached an agreement to retain Harrison Smith for a 14th season, after the latter had considered retirement. Smith (192 career games) can move into third place for Vikings defender longevity with nine more games played; he is back on a one-year, $10.25MM deal that (per Goessling) comes with $8MM fully guaranteed. There are $750K in playing-time incentives, per Goessling, who adds Smith can collect additional $500K bonuses by reaching the four-INT and three-sack benchmarks. A $1MM bump would come if Smith lands a first-team All-Pro nod; that number drops to $500K for a second-team accolade. Smith, 36, last earned All-Pro honors in 2018. The Vikings are again using void years, meaning a Smith departure in 2026 would bring a $12MM dead money hit.
  • Jonathan Allen‘s three-year, $51MM Minnesota deal includes snap- and sack-based incentives. The longtime Washington DT can earn $3MM if he plays 70% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps; that tiered structure begins with a $500K payout by reaching 50% usage. Allen played between 68-82% of Washington’s snaps from 2018-23 but came in at 59% during an injury-altered 2024. The soon-to-be 30-year-old lineman can earn $500K with five sacks, another $1MM with seven and another $1.5MM with 10, Goessling tweets.
  • While Allen, Will Fries (tibia fracture) and Javon Hargrave (triceps tear) are expected to be ready for Vikes camp, O’Connell stopped short of guaranteeing Rondale Moore will be. Moore suffered an unspecified knee injury during Falcons camp last year, and O’Connell said he wants to see how the $2MM investment looks in his first weeks with the team before making a determination on camp.
  • Jordan Addison‘s DUI case continues. The Vikings wideout took part in a pretrial hearing last month, and ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert indicates a pretrial conference is set for April 10. This matter, stemming from an August 2024 arrest, puts the former first-round pick in play to serve a 2025 suspension.
  • Lastly, the Vikes are hiring former QB Charlie Frye as a defensive assistant. This interesting role, for a 23-start QB, comes after a two-year run as Florida Atlantic’s OC. Frye, 43, was also the Dolphins’ QBs coach in 2021 under current Vikings DC Brian Flores. That represents the ex-Browns starter’s only previous NFL coaching work.
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