Packers get welcome payoff from overlooked offseason decision that now looks like one of their smartest choices of 2025
Christian Watson signed a contract extension back in the offseason, and now he’s consolidated himself as a reliable and efficient piece of the offense.
You look at his four receptions for 46 yards and it’s impossible to presume how impactful wide receiver Christian Watson is for the Green Bay Packers’ offense.
Fully healthy and recovered from an ACL injury, Watson has led the Packers’ receivers in snaps in each of the past two games. Against the New York Giants, he was instrumental with two touchdown catches during a 27-20 win.
Now, the one-year, $11 million extension the Packers gave him before the season, keeping him under contract through 2026, looks much smarter.
Watson offers a lot for the offense
If early in his career Watson was a deep threat with questionable hands, used mostly as a decoy to open underneath space, he has become one of the most reliable parts of the unit.
Watson made strong catches against the Giants, he blocks for his teammates, and that deep speed is still a huge element of his game.
“He made a ton, a lot,” head coach Matt LaFleur said about Watson after the game. “And he made two critical, both those touchdown catches were amazing catches by him. I can’t say enough about the guy, just the type of teammate he is, how he works on a daily basis. I got a lot, a lot of love for Christian Watson.”
Since his return from injury, Watson has had 12 catches for 234 yards and those two touchdowns scored against the Giants. Extrapolating those numbers for a full 17-game season, and that’s 51 catches for 994 yards and eight touchdowns. That would comfortably be his best NFL season.
Gladfully for the Packers, the team found a way to reach a short-term extension with Watson while he was still hurt. It gave him security to work his way back, and it also gives the team flexibility to count on Watson beyond 2025 for a reasonable price tag.
Without tight end Tucker Kraft for the rest of the season, and possibly without running back Josh Jacobs for a few weeks, the Packers’ offense needs production and reliability elsewhere. Since he’s back, Christian Watson has been exactly that for the Packers.
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