Revenge is a dish best served cold, and the Green Bay Packers have been waiting a long time to serve this platter to the Minnesota Vikings. Over three years, to be exact.
Green Bay reportedly signed wide receiver Christian Watson to a one-year, $13.25 million contract extension (h/t Adam Schefter of ESPN).
The news broke on a random Tuesday night and caught everyone by surprise, considering the talented but oft-injured player is notably rehabbing from a torn ACL. It's a unique and fascinating move for various reasons, including a revisionist history victory over the Vikings, as told by his dad, Tazim Wajid Wajed.
Packers get the last laugh at Vikings with Christian Watson contract extension
Wajed took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share an insightful monologue in response to his son's payday. He called it an act of mutual "loyalty" and faith. Nonetheless, the more interesting tidbit was that the Packers tried trading with Minnesota to move back into Round 1 of the 2022 draft for Watson. The goal was to give Green Bay the fifth-year club option, though their NFC North foes rejected the offer.
The two sides ultimately struck a deal that allowed Green Bay to select Watson with the No. 34 overall pick. The Packers got the prospect they wanted, albeit without the additional binding security the front office had hoped for. Fast forward to the present, and now the team gets both -- at a cheaper cost!
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With the benefit of hindsight, initially getting spurned by the Vikings proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Packers. Green Bay gets to hang onto Watson through 2026, as originally planned, and he gets a longer runway to recovery. It's a forward-thinking, mutually beneficial transaction for all parties involved ... except Minnesota.
Minnesota tried raining on its division rival's parade, and they seemingly did, at least until the latest turn of events. Justice prevailed for Watson and the Pack, who have experienced "a number of momentous occasions since then," Wajed wrote, with some being better than others. The promising young wideout has immense untapped potential if he can put his health concerns in the rearview mirror.
Watson appeared in a career-high 15 games before going down in 2024. His explosiveness and elite field-stretching ability were on full display, posting a single-season best 620 receiving yards on only 29 catches. For context, the 21.4 yards per reception would've ranked second in the NFL if he qualified.