On Thursday, the Green Bay Packers did something they haven’t done since 2002: draft a wide receiver in the first round. It was a special moment as the Packers selected Matthew Golden with the 23rd pick, because the draft is in Green Bay. Golden was in attendance, so he immediately got familiar with the Green Bay crowd.
While everyone celebrated that moment, some wondered what it meant for another receiver the Packers are already familiar with. That wide receiver is Christian Watson, who Green Bay selected in the second round, of the 2022 Draft. Watson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and considering how similar he and and Golden are as wideouts, many believe this will be Watson’s last year with the Packers.
Christian Watson’s future with the Packers is in question after Green Bay selects Matthew Golden
Golden is a few inches shorter and smaller than Watson, but both are slim receivers that win down the field with speed. The former Texas Longhorn, Golden, ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the 2025 Combine. Stylistically, he’s the perfect Watson replacement.
However, in order to replace someone, they have to be gone. Watson isn’t gone yet, but this selection points to Green Bay preparing to say goodbye. He has been a productive wideout, recording 98 receptions for 1,653 yards and 14 touchdowns in three years, but he has has only played in 38 games in his young career.
Injuries have limited him, and he’s currently dealing with a torn ACL. He sustained that injury in Week 18, and because of how late it was in the season, he likely won’t be available in 2025. That means Watson has probably played his last snap in Green Bay, as the Packers move forward with the similarly skilled Matthew Golden.