Packers Placed Big Bet on Christian Watson, And Everyone Is Cashing In

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson has set career highs for receptions and receiving yards.

In eight games.

The Packers gave Watson a huge contract extension with a base value of $92 million in June. Their offseason decisions at the position and the contract were bets that a player who hadn’t quite reached his potential during his first four seasons would do it in Year 5 and beyond.

The Packers, obviously, won the bets, because it’s almost impossible to believed they’d be taking a 5-3 record into Sunday’s game at the New England Patriots without him having by far the best season of his career.

Watson entered the season with career highs of 41 catches (in 14 games as a rookie in 2022), 620 yards (in 15 games before a torn ACL in 2024) and seven touchdowns (as a rookie). This year, with the Packers hitching their wagon to Watson instead of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, he’s caught 42 passes for 708 yards and six touchdowns.

Watson ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards and seventh in receiving yards per game. Among receivers with at least 20 catches, he’s second with a 16.86-yard average – 0.02 yards behind Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins.

Christian Watson Cashing In

Watson’s 17-game pace is 89 receptions for 1,505 yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s noteworthy because of the escalators in his contract, which would increase his 2027 base salary.

If Watson finishes with 85-plus receptions, there is a $750,000 escalator. So, he’s on pace to hit that one. If he gets to 95 receptions, the escalator increases to $1.15 million.

If Watson finishes with 1,200-plus receiving yards, he’d also hit the $1.15 million escalator.

If Watson reaches a dozen touchdowns, there’s another $1.15 million escalator.

At his current pace, Watson would hit $3.05 million in escalators, with an opportunity to max it out at $3.45 million if he cranks up the catch production a bit. If Watson is selected to the Pro Bowl, that would be an additional $250,000.

Watson’s production has exploded because of the additional opportunities. His hard work to become much more than just a size-speed threat has come to the forefront.

“He just had some nagging injuries, stuff like that, so he never really got to have a training camp that first year,” passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable said this week. “I think that puts you behind the 8-ball a lot, and that kind of happened to Savion last year. And it’s not an excuse; it’s just a reality.

“To get better in this league, you have to grind out reps at a high level. You have to go against good corners – like some of the guys we have now – and you have to battle one-on-one. You have to callous yourself, or else you’re just going to do the same stuff you did in college. So, if you weren’t good at a slant route in college, and you’re not going to come into the pros and run it on air and be good. It’s a sport that demands you to go against a man across me who’s a good player and build yourself.”

Broken Rib Can’t Slow Watson

Watson, of course, suffered a broken rib in last week’s win against Carolina. After a brief trip to the hospital, he was back on the field to finish the game.

If the injury didn’t keep him from returning to that game, he sure as heck will be on the field against the Patriots with a little additional padding.

“There’s only so much you can do,” he said after Wednesday’s practice. “It definitely still hurts. But I’ve been hurting out there plenty of times before, and I’m sure a lot of guys are dealing with other stuff. So, that’s just part of the game.”

Watson missed the end of the 2024 season and the first half of the 2025 season with a torn ACL. In the 18 games back in the lineup, Watson has 77 receptions for 1,319 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ranks 13th in yards and third in touchdowns over that span.

So, to be sidelined was difficult beyond the pain.

“I mean, just frustration, to be honest, because once I was able to catch my breath, obviously the pain and stuff was still there,” he said. “But if felt like that I could kind of just play through and still be out there. So, just frustrating that I had to go miss the game and potentially miss the rest of the game.

“I was definitely frustrated, but I understand that doctors have a job to keep us safe and, obviously, I knew that there could be a possibility for something more serious or whatnot. So, I was just trusting the doctors to do their job and keep me safe. I was frustrated, for sure, but understanding, as well.”

Watson is on a prolific pace that could have him challenging Davante Adams (1,553 yards in 2021) and Jordy Nelson (1,519 yards in 2014) as the most productive receiver in Packers history.

“He’s playing at a high level right now,” Vrable said. “I’m happy for him to finally get some respect that I do believe that he deserves.”

The NFL trade deadline is coming up on Tuesday. @JacobWestendorf looks at two trades they should make and two they should avoid. ⬇️https://t.co/68TFN0pAGo
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 5, 2026

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