Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson hasn't missed a beat since his midseason return from a torn ACL he suffered late last season. Heck, you could even argue the fourth-year wide receiver looks better than ever, let alone no worse for wear.
Having Watson back in the lineup has been a godsend for the Packers, and the timing couldn't be better -- or can it?
Watson's ascension is a double-edged sword for the Packers. On one hand, he's playing like the No. 1 option they've desperately needed, especially since losing standout tight end Tucker Kraft to an ACL tear. On the other, this breakout will complicate matters for Green Bay's front office in the coming weeks/months, if it hasn't already.
Christian Watson's breakout puts Packers between rock and a hard place
Do the Packers plan to sign Watson to a new deal beyond his recent one-year extension this offseason? If so, what does that mean for fellow Green Bay wideouts Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks? Where does first-round rookie Matthew Golden fit into the equation?
Doubs is slated for unrestricted free agency following the 2025 NFL campaign, when Reed and Wicks notably become eligible for extensions. See the problem? There are a ton of mouths that need to be fed and only so much food to go around.
The pickings are even slimmer for the cap-strapped Packers of all clubs. They're the first team to pay $100 million-plus annually to only two players: franchise quarterback Jordan Love and star pass-rusher Micah Parsons.
It doesn't help that Doubs has also put the Packers in a tricky spot with his solid efforts. He and Watson are simultaneously taking marked steps forward, which is theoretically a good problem to have. Yet, in reality, it means Green Bay will have to make a tough decision on one or each of the two.
It always felt like Golden was Watson's successor, but now the Packers may need to come up with a way to keep both. That means Green Bay must develop a strategy to utilize them ... and Reed ... and Wicks ... and possibly Doubs.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has been stubbornly committed to running the ball over the past two seasons. They're pacing for a second straight top-five finish in rushing play percentage. This devotion to the ground game has made incorporating all of his shiny toys difficult, only further muddying the situation.