Christian Watson opens up about recovery progress, and why it could become the turning point in his career with the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are starting to get ready for the 2025 season. After the draft, the team had their rookie minicamp last week, and the organized team activities begin on May 27. It will be a different experience for wide receiver Christian Watson, who will enter his fourth NFL season but won't be on […]
The Green Bay Packers are starting to get ready for the 2025 season. After the draft, the team had their rookie minicamp last week, and the organized team activities begin on May 27. It will be a different experience for wide receiver Christian Watson, who will enter his fourth NFL season but won't be on the field before the regular season.
His entire offseason is a grind to get back from the ACL injury he suffered back in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. In a recent interview, the offensive weapon talked about where he is in the process to return.
"The recovery is going really well. I'm in a really good spot," Watson said, via WLUK. "Keeping the mentality there, just working. I’ve got a couple more months ahead of me, but I'm attacking it every day, I'm in a really good spot."
Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL on January 5. Usually, the Packers treat these injuries as a 10-month recovery process, which would put Watson in position to return starting by Week 9 or 10 in 2025. But it’s still a long way to go. For Watson, his resiliency is a big part of the turnaround.
"It comes down to what I've been through in my life in terms of adversity that I've faced. I don't really think that there's anything that could hit me that I wouldn't try to fight through and overcome," Watson added. "It's just the way I was raised. I was raised to be a fighter and chase to have the things that I want. I've gotten a lot in my life so far, but there's still a lot of things that I want, so I'm going to keep on fighting for it."
Christian Watson being back is huge for both the Packers and the player individually. Even though Green Bay drafted Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third, Watson is still a highly impactful weapon with his deep speed. Last year, he led the team in yards per route run (2.26).
For Watson in particular, getting back at some point in 2025 is massive. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which means that if he loses the entire season on the physically unable to perform list, his contract will toll to 2026. He would play another season with a $1.965 million salary, delaying his free agency to 2027. Extending with the Packers or getting a free agent deal elsewhere, the receiver would be able to get much more than that.
According to Over the Cap, his current valuation is $5.08 million per year, which would certainly go significantly up once he's fully healthy and able to produce—especially because the wide receiver market tends to be expensive for teams.
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