Christian Watson gave the Packers every reason to feel good about their investment in Week 1.
Green Bay signed Watson to a second straight extension this offseason, and this one locked him in on a four-year, $92 million deal with just $31 million guaranteed. His $23 million average annual value sits 24th among wide receivers, per OverTheCap, which looks awfully light for a player who can take over a game the way Watson did.
On a day that started smoothly before turning, Watson still finished with the top grade on Matt LaFleur’s team. He caught six of eight targets for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and the breakout season everyone has been waiting for suddenly looked very real.
The Packers did not even need to force-feed him to get that production. Tucker Kraft’s injury may have played a part, and the team may still be easing him back in, since the tight end saw only six targets and made three catches for 45 yards. Matthew Golden actually led Green Bay with 12 targets, with Jordan Love looking his way plenty.
Even so, Watson is the clear top passing-game weapon right now. Green Bay is thinner at receiver than it would like, and Watson’s size, strength and burst make him the kind of player who can change the game in a hurry. The injury questions will always hover, but when he is on the field, he is simply too difficult to handle.
What he did against Brian Flores’ defense would have stood out against anyone. Watson’s 147 yards trailed only Chris Olave’s 182 and Zay Flowers’ 150 in Week 1, and his two touchdowns left him tied for the league lead in scoring through the air.
It is still early, but this is the kind of performance that makes a contract look smarter by the week. The price tag may have seemed rich for a player without career accolades and with a medical history that has raised concerns, yet the guaranteed money makes this look like a deal Green Bay could end up loving.
Golden may have the speed edge, and Kraft is the YAC threat who still needs to knock off some rust, but Watson is the Packers’ true ball-winner. Whether he is lined up outside or in the slot, running slants or flying on go routes, he has the kind of 50/50 ability that pairs perfectly with Jordan Love in the shotgun. More often than not, he is going to make the play.
In Other News...
Packers O-Line Issues Just Turned Into A Bigger Coaching Debate
The Packers opening-week loss quickly pushed the offensive line into the center of the conversation, and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich tried to frame the problems as more about communication than anything structural. He said the choice to start Donovan Jennings at left guard came down to what the staff saw in practice, and he also left open the possibility of moving Anthony Belton back to guard as Green Bay continues to search for the right mix up front.
What makes the issue linger is that the discussion has started to bleed beyond the line itself. Stenavich and Matt LaFleur offered different explanations about how Tucker Kraft was used on one particular play, a small detail that points to a larger question about how cleanly the offense is being coached and executed. For a unit already under pressure after Week 1, those kinds of differences matter because they can reveal whether the problem is simply timing, or something deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Update Leaves Packers Facing A Serious Off-Field Question
Josh Jacobs has already played a central role in Green Bays offense, but his latest legal resolution puts the Packers in an uncomfortable spot off the field. The running back entered a no contest plea to two misdemeanor charges tied to a domestic disturbance case, resulting in a battery conviction and a $1,000 fine, while the property damage charge was handled through a deferred judgment arrangement.
The remaining issue now centers on what happens with the evidence from the incident itself. The victims legal team has asked to seal surveillance footage related to the case, and the Packers are left monitoring a situation that has moved beyond the courtroom but not fully out of the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Sent A Message Steelers Fans Will Love After Week 1
After Week 1 in Pittsburgh, Aaron Rodgers took a moment to reach across the aisle and salute a familiar face. The former Packers quarterback sent ZaDarius Smith a handwritten note after the Steelers game against the Falcons, praising the veteran pass rushers energy and the way he worked his way back into the action.
Rodgers and Smith spent three seasons together in Green Bay, so the message carried the kind of respect that usually comes from shared locker rooms and a few battles together. Smith had only recently signed with Atlanta after a brief retirement, and he played through a shoulder issue in the opener, a detail Steelers fans will appreciate even if the note itself was aimed at an old teammate. [Read more 🡒]