The Green Bay Packers turned some heads with Christian Watson's contract extension. What the deal had to be done, some argued they had overpaid for an injury-prone player with no major career accolades.
While those concerns are somewhat valid, and $110.5 million over four years does look like a lot of money, the devil is in the details. Upon further review, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst may have actually gotten tremendous value with this contract.
Watson actually got just $31 million in guaranteed money, which ranks 26th among wide receivers. As Eli Berkovits of 247 Sports shared on X, even guys like Jerry Jeudy, Calvin Ridley, and Wan'Dale Robinson will make more guaranteed cash than him. Rookies like Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson are also ahead of him.
The Packers got great value with Christian Watson's extension
For years, the Packers have hoped that Watson will take a leap as the star wide receiver he can become. Injuries have gotten in the way too often, and he's missed 20 regular-season games in his four years in the league.
One could argue that making a long-term commitment to an injury-prone player who has never topped 700 receiving yards is a risk, and they'd be right. Skill and talent-wise, however, there's simply no objective or subjective way to deny that Watson is one of the best in business.
In fact, the North Dakota State star was actually one of the best pass catchers in the game since his return from injury in Week 8 last season. He ranked 3rd in yards per catch (17.0), fifth in drop percentage (2.6 percent), passer rating when targeted (120.8) and touchdown receptions (7), eighth in contested catches (11), and tenth in yards per route run (2.28).
Now, that doesn't mean Watson doesn't have to hold his end of the bargain. He got contract extensions in back-to-back years, and while the team must feel great about his health after so many years of ailments, he has to deliver. Everybody plays through injuries, and with a thinner wide receiver corps, they may not have the means to get by without him.
Matthew Golden should take a big leap in year two after not being much of a factor as a rookie, and if everything goes according to plan, he'll emerge as the team's WR1 at some point in the near future. In the meantime, they need Watson to silence the critics and prove that the team actually got a bargain with this extension. Also, with the way the wide receiver market has blown up in the past couple of years, all of today's big contracts will look like steals two years from now.
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