Packers face a contract puzzle as their star offensive weapon keeps defying expectations and delivering at peak form.QQ
Wide receiver Christian Watson signed a short-term deal in the offseason, but he might be in position for a new deal soon.
The Green Bay Packers reached an unusual short-term extension with Christian Watson back in the offseason. For the player, it was a smart way of getting some level of security while he recovered from a serious knee injury. For the team, a buy-low opportunity to keep Watson around through 2026, avoiding a scenario where both him and Romeo Doubs would become free agents at the same time next offseason.
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Despite some criticism that the Packers overpaid Watson based on his production, that deal looks amazingly team-friendly now.
“He’s a dynamic player,” head coach Matt LaFleur said after the Packers’ win over the Chicago Bears. “We’ve got to continue to find ways to get him the ball. I think we had three pretty explosive plays, two touchdowns. I’m just really proud of how he is, what happened a year ago versus the Chicago Bears, and how he’s responded, and how he’s worked to get him into a spot now where you go out and you see what he can do. Got a lot of love and a lot of respect for Christian Watson.”
Extension candidate once again
Since Christian Watson returned from his torn ACL in late October, he’s had 25 catches for 452 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the Packers with 2.47 yards per route run.
Going back to his contract, the fourth-year receiver signed a one-year, $11 million extension back in September. He saw part of that money right away, so he’s slated to make $5.75 million in 2026 — that looks like an insane bargain right now.
And, to be fair, it doesn’t look realistic to expect Watson to play under that number. Usually, teams can only extend players one calendar year after his previous extension, but the Packers specifically structured Watson’s current contract in a way to allow a new early extension — initially, that could facilitate a trade, but that doesn’t sound like the more probable scenario at this point.
With average receivers getting something close to $20 million on the open market, you can see Watson getting there too — and Indianapolis Colts’ Alec Pierce, with a similar profile, can serve as the baseline for a new deal for Watson.
The Packers will probably allow Romeo Doubs to walk in free agency. By that point, Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks will all be playing in contract years. Watson and Reed could get some new deals, and a long-term extension after that bridge contract should absolutely be in play after seeing what Watson has done this season.
