The Green Bay Packers bolstered their wide receiver group with Matthew Golden, a rare first-round receiver, and third-round pick Savion Williams in the 2025 draft.
Ideally, both players can become immediate contributors and help the offense get off to a strong start. But, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, with rookies, you never know what you’re gonna get. Thankfully, the Packers will get another boost to their receiving corps at some point this season.
Christian Watson‘s unfortunate injury streak continued in Week 18, when he tore his ACL. Watson’s speed, role in the running game, and versatility make him a unique threat for which defensive coordinators need to game plan, even if he’s not the preferred target on a play. He also had the most reliable pair of hands on the team last season.
Losing Watson was a blow to the group, and it may have been a factor in why the Packers selected a receiver in the first round. We don’t know when Watson will return. However, he seems to be recovering well, thanks to OTA and minicamp updates and videos Watson has posted.
Christian Watson just posted this on his Instagram story. He’s running routes, cutting and hitting pretty close to full speed. pic.twitter.com/ZSLQwbuUzV
— zach jacobson (@zacobson) June 20, 2025
He was running full routes at a crisp speed and didn’t look like someone recovering from a major leg injury. It’s looking good for the former second-rounder. Still, we can’t forget that Watson was still in the rehab group, and that looking great in a video won’t mean he’s back by Week 1. As positively as Watson’s recovery is shaping up, and as excited as I am to see him back in the lineup, we need to keep expectations reasonable for Watson’s return timeline.
Watson is entering his fourth season with the Packers, which means it’s time to start looking for a contract extension. Entering that season on the PUP or even IR isn’t ideal for a talented player seeking a payday.
Watson isn’t the only player seeking a new contract with the team. Fellow receiver Romeo Doubs, as well as Rasheed Walker, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, and others, are also hoping for paydays. There’s only so much money to go around, especially at wide receiver.
So the sooner Watson is back on the active roster and contributing in games, the better for his future prospects.
However, the Packers have a conservative health team, and they won’t bring Watson back until they’re completely confident he’s ready to return. There are countless examples of teams rushing a player back after injury only for his health woes to get re-aggravated — and for the player to be worse off long-term.
It’s been a frustrating series of injuries for Watson, who is filled to the brim with talent and possesses ideal physicality for the position. We’ve seen Watson thrive for stretches, and the offense looks its best when Watson is heavily involved.
Still, the coaching staff and the fans must be patient. Watson has already had an unfortunate injury bug, and it would be foolish to be hasty with his return.
Earlier this summer, Matt LaFleur expressed his excitement about Watson’s progress: “He looks like a freak, like he always does, in a positive way. He’s been great, outstanding. He has a great attitude, and he’s working hard.”
While LaFleur lauded the training staff and Watson’s effort, he doesn’t believe it changes the timeline for Watson’s return.
“Probably not,” he said, “to be honest.”
Packers HC Matt LaFleur on whether Christian Watson's progress back from his ACL tear suggests he might return earlier than initially expected:
"Probably not to be honest."
LaFleur adds that it "is exciting to see how far along he is."
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) June 12, 2025
LaFleur believes in the guys he has and knows that when Watson is ready, he’ll bring a lot to the offense. “Whenever he comes back,” he said. “I expect him to give us a boost.”
Even if Watson is only active for half of the season, he can still earn his payday in Green Bay. He’s a perfect fit for what LaFleur wants to do and is willing to do the dirty work in the run game. He hasn’t emerged as a true WR1 but is a valuable piece of the offense.
The challenge Watson will face is not just getting back on the field, but consistently being involved and getting targets. There were stretches when, even when Watson was healthy, he wouldn’t get many targets. It doesn’t seem to bother Watson, but the more focused he can be, the better his chances of getting an extension.
When Watson returns, the rookies might be major players. Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed may have solved their drop issues, and Romeo Doubs might put up a dominant contract-year season. If the offense is humming, Watson will need to play catch-up quickly.
It’s extremely encouraging to see Watson’s recovery going so well. The recent videos he posted are excellent reminders of his talent, and the sooner he’s back in the lineup, the better.
But it’s important for us (me included!) to remember that looking good in shorts doesn’t mean he’s magically healed from his major injury. Green Bay is careful with injury returns, and Watson will have competition from other talented receivers when he’s back. It’s good to be excited about Watson’s return, but we can’t expect miracles yet.