When the Green Bay Packers gave Christian Watson a one-year extension for $13.25 million in September, it was a surprise, given that he was still on the shelf rehabbing from his torn ACL. That's also a solid chunk of change for a wideout who had averaged just 12.7 games played in the three previous seasons.
At the time, no one knew how Watson would look coming off his knee injury, but the Packers were banking on the 26-year-old wide receiver coming back at some point this season and being a contributor on offense.
Fast forward several weeks, and Watson has shattered all expectations coming off his ACL injury and has quickly established himself as quarterback Jordan Love’s top go-to option and the Packers' WR1. It started in his first game back against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, where Watson had four receptions on as many targets for 85 receiving yards.
Since his debut, Watson has not looked back, racking up 25 receptions (38 targets) for 452 yards and five TDs in seven games. Despite missing the first six games this season, the former second-round pick is already ranked third on the team in receiving yards and tied for second in touchdowns with Romeo Doubs.
Tucker Kraft leads the team in touchdowns (6), but he’s out for the year, so it's only a matter of time before Watson potentially takes over the lead. That being said, Green Bay was smart to secure a deal with Watson early, rather than waiting until after the offseason, as his price tag would likely be higher than $13 million.
Christian Watson Already Setting Packers Up to Make Tough Decision Next Season
However, the Packers are not out of the woods yet, as they’ll need to determine over the next several months whether Watson is worth a multi-year deal and the potential ramifications.
If you take Watson’s current stats and project them for a full 17-game season, he would finish with 61 receptions (92 targets) for 1,098 yards and 12 TDs. That is absurd production, and is certainly obtainable next season if he continues at this pace.
In fact, since he’ll be on the last year of his deal in 2026, the Packers veteran wideout could be setting himself up to get paid like Chicago Bears WR D.J. Moore. Moore signed a four-year, $110 million contract extension in July 2024 after a ridiculous first season in the Windy City (96 receptions for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023).
Since that extension, Moore has failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark again, including this year, where he only has 39 receptions (66 targets) for 498 yards and three TDs. Watson has played in fewer games than Moore this season, but could make the case that he’s been the more consistent player.
If the Packers were to take that route of giving Watson a multi-year deal around $25-$27M, it might force their hand to make some tough decisions on other guys expected to be free agents in 2027, such as Kraft, Jayden Reed, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and Elgton Jenkins.
Packers fans should hope that the front office will try to get something done with one or two of these guys this upcoming offseason, knowing that another Watson payday is coming if he builds off his performance this season.
Coming into this season, it was unclear who would emerge as the top options in the WR room, with Watson’s injury plus the two rookies. However, Watson is not only here to stay for 2026 but also possibly for years to come.