As Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL a few months back in the team's regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears, the soon-to-be 26-year-old is expected to miss a decent chunk of the 2025 campaign.
And the injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Watson, as the 2022 second-round selection is set to play the upcoming season on the final year of his rookie contract, which naturally means general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur will have a decision to make in the coming months once they see how the surgery and required recovery impact his play.
But if LaFleur has any say in the matter, it seems as if he's already leaning toward bringing Watson back on a new contract.
In a recent media session surrounding the start of rookie minicamp, LaFleur was asked about Watson's current status and offered up an extremely positive update while also effectively revealing how much he thinks of him from an overall standpoint.
"He looks like a freak like he always does, in a positive way," LaFleur said. "He's been great, he's been outstanding. Just great attitude and he's working hard."
It honestly wasn't only the words themselves that caught our attention, but the way LaFleur said them. He always seems to have a particular enthusiasm when he speaks of Watson, and this was no different.
It's difficult to know exactly how much pull LaFleur has when it comes to contracts and such. But as mentioned above, it sounds like he'd definitely be open to bringing Watson back in 2026 and beyond.
That said, however, there are obviously a few factors that must be considered before pen is put to paper on any new deal.
Christian Watson has a lot to prove to the Packers when he returns from injury
While a torn ACL isn't nearly as devastating as it used to be thanks to the advances in modern medicine, Watson could certainly be a little skittish when he returns out of fear of reinjuring himself.
Or, seeing as how he's in a contract year and wants to get as many regular-season reps in as possible, the North Dakota State alum could bring reinjury into play by pushing himself too hard. And that can be applied to both his recovery or his return.
Then, of course, there's the matter of how many passes Watson will actually see when he comes back. Even when healthy, he wasn't even close to being Jordan Love's top option, as Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and even Dontayvion Wicks have seen more targets in each of the last two seasons.
Throw in the fact that the Packers selected both Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Watson may not even crack the starting lineup upon his return.
So, again, even with LaFleur's love for Watson, the upcoming season may very well be the last for No. 9 in a Packers uniform.