The Green Bay Packers aren’t in the business of making blockbuster trades under this regime. Over the last decade-plus, the Packers have been very selective when it comes to making major deals to upgrade their roster.
However, a trade for Micah Parsons that involved two first-round picks made it clear that the organization wants to hunt for Super Bowls. With a budding roster, the pieces are starting to fall into place.
The one remaining question is the wide receiver spot. Both Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed are solid options, while rookie Matthew Golden remains an unproven quantity. Beyond those three, though, the best option the Packers have is in one-time second-round pick Christian Watson.
Even though he just signed an extension earlier this week, his status for the season is still up in the air.
What Happened to Christian Watson?
In the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season, the Packers were locked in a contest against divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears. Green Bay ultimately lost that contest and gave Chicago its first win in 11 games.
However, for Matt LaFleur and co., the game had a far bigger impact. While running a route, their third-year wide receiver sustained a knee injury. Unfortunately, the situation turned out to be grim, as Watson was diagnosed with a torn ACL.
His rehab process has been a work in progress throughout the summer. But, the Packers clearly liked what they saw. After a dominant Week 1 outing against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay extended Watson, who wasn’t even on the field, to a $13.25 million deal.
When Will Watson Return?
The ACL injury immediately ended Watson’s 2024 campaign. However, the recovery process has been a slow ordeal this entire offseason. Entering the 2025 season, the Packers decided to put Watson on the PUP list.
As a result, fans are likely not going to see him on the field until Week 5 at the earliest. Thankfully, for Packers fans, it looks like Watson will take the field not long after that. During training camp, general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke positively about his recovery process.
“When you see him run … like you want to throw him out there, right? But there’s kind of a timeline with these ACLs, and we’re certainly, he’s ahead of the curve.”
However, the Packers are determined to be careful with a player who is in their plans for a long time to come.
Even in the midst of rehab for his torn ACL, the Packers are rewarding WR Christian Watson with a one-year, $13.25 million contract extension, per his agent Adisa Bakari. The extension ties Watson to Green Bay through the 2026 season, allows him to focus on getting healthy and… pic.twitter.com/kdGSY9PThl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 10, 2025
“There’s no doubt about it, but at the same time he’s got a long career in front of him, so we want to make sure we take the proper steps and we don’t skip any steps along the way.”
Those kid gloves, though, could come off immediately after Week 4.
“After that fourth game, I’m sure he’s going to be chomping at the bit, and it’s going to take a lot of us to hold him back.”
