Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) scores a touchdown against Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) during the first half of a game on Dec. 7, 2025.
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The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. And perhaps no one did less with more than Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur.
Green Bay headed into the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top rosters, then traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons 10 days before the year began. Suddenly, Packer Nation was dreaming of their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.
Instead, Green Bay went a remarkably unsatisfying 9-8-1 overall and was the NFC’s No. 7 seed for a third consecutive year. The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.
“No way you should lose games in this league when you’re up that much,” running back Josh Jacobs said.
Green Bay, which began the year 9-3-1, finished the season with five straight losses. The Packers now enter 2026 with the league’s fourth-longest losing streak.
Collapsing late in games was the story of Green Bay’s 2025 campaign.
Green Bay had double digit leads in the final minutes twice against Chicago and also vs. Cleveland and somehow went 0-3 in those games. The Packers’ odds of losing all three contests were 1-in-250,000, yet they somehow did it.
“That (expletive), it’s starting to get damn-near embarrassing,” safety Javon Bullard said.
Rebounding won’t be easy as the Packers were hit hard in free agency and didn’t have a first round draft pick.
Green Bay’s first training camp practice is July 29. Between now and then I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2026 campaign.
At No. 5 is wide receiver Christian Watson.
No. 5
Christian Watson, WR
Last season
Watson signed a one-year, $11 million extension in Sept., 2025, that gave both him and the team a chance to better evaluate his future as he battled back from a torn ACL.
Watson then returned during Green Bay’s win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 26 and went on to have arguably his finest season.
Watson played the final 10 games and finished with 35 catches for 611 yards and six touchdowns. Over that stretch, Watson’s average of 17.5 yards per catch led the NFL.
The Packers apparently saw everything they needed, and in June signed Watson to a four-year, $110.5 million deal that included a $31 million signing bonus.
Watson’s deal averages $27.625 million per season, which ranks 15th among all NFL wideouts.
Career to date
Watson, a second round draft pick from North Dakota State, caught 41 passes for 611 yards and had a team-best seven receiving touchdowns as a rookie in 2022. He missed three games that year due to injury, but still tied for No. 1 in the NFL among rookies in TD catches and ranked No. 5 among rookies in receiving yards.
Watson had a remarkably frustrating 2023 campaign, playing in only nine games and taking the field for just 40.7% of the snaps due to a pair of hamstring injuries. Watson had 28 receptions and five touchdowns in 2023, but it marked the second straight year injuries sidetracked his season.
For the most part, Watson got over the injury bug in 2024, playing in 15 of 17 games. His numbers (29 receptions, 620 yards, two TDs) were mediocre, though, then he tore his ACL in the final regular season game of the year.
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Watson ran a blazing 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine. He also posted a terrific score of 38 on the 50-question Wonderlic test.
Both of those numbers ranked at or near the top of the wide receiver group.
Watson also had terrific numbers in the vertical jump (38-1/2”), the broad jump (11-4) and has big hands (10 1/8”).
The Packers believe those rare physical gifts and Watson’s impressive work ethic will eventually lead to a breakout season. There’s certainly no time like the present.
Outlook
Watson has never had more than 620 receiving yards in a season, but the Packers paid him No. 1 wide receiver money this offseason. In fact, the only wideout in the division making more than Watson is Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (four years, $140 million).
Now is the time for Watson to produce like a bonafide No. 1 for a full season.
Watson has had his moments.
Watson was brilliant the second half of his rookie year. He was tremendous coming off the knee injury in 2025.
But Watson has averaged just 12 games per year his first four seasons.
The Packers aren’t as deep at wide receiver after moving on from Romeo Doubs (free agency) and Dontayvion Wicks (trade) this offseason. They need close to 17 games from Watson at an even higher level than he performed in 2025.
They said it …
“It makes a big difference between just finding a rhythm and building that confidence with the whole offense and personally just being able to work on my craft and get a feel for things. It’s definitely a lot smoother of an offseason for me this year being able to do everything.” — Watson on being able to practice this offseason
“He embodies what we want to be about. I think he’s a team-first kind of guy. Never once over the course of four years have I ever heard him complain about not getting the ball. He does all the little things the right way. I think he handles himself the right way, he’s a great teammate, he busts his butt every day when he comes in the building. He does all the dirty work in the run game. So, I was super-fired up for him.” — Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Watson’s contract extension
“Yeah it’s been really cool, the opportunity to be able to see and coach a guy from the age of 18 to 22 years old when he’s trying to just grow and mature and do those things and have the opportunity to come back 4, 5 years later and reunite with him and see him at a different stage of life. He’s married, has a kid, you know what I mean? Some of those things are really cool, to see his growth and where he’s grown within the room, as well. So it’s been really cool.” — Packers new wide receivers coach Noah Pauley, who coached Watson at North Dakota State
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