The NFL is an unforgiving business. It doesn’t take long for a team to turn on you if you’re not performing. It takes some fans even less time. I’ll bet a few of those fans in question will comment on this article without even reading it. The pressure to perform at a high level is there with you right from the start. Sometimes your draft position can afford you some extra time even though there’s a lot more pressure. Over the last decade or so, the Green Bay Packers have had the luxury of allowing these players to develop. There’s never been a dyer need to immediately perform if players needed a little time to learn or if luck just hasn’t been on their side. But with half his rookie contract already under his belt, the pressure is starting to fall on wide receiver Christian Watson to prove he was worth his 34th overall pick investment.

It’s not that Watson isn’t performing, In 23 games, the young receiver has scored 14 total touchdowns. That’s more than any six receivers picked before him in the 2022 draft. But the kicker there is 23 games. 23 games out of a possible 36. Injuries have plagued Watson’s career and held him out of 13 games. That’s not to mention snaps that he may have missed after sustaining some of those injuries on the field. It’s as if Christian Watson has missed almost an entire season in his two-year career.

Now if he had suffered a major injury that required season-ending surgery in week 5 one season, we probably wouldn’t be talking about this and would just write it off as misfortune, and that we can’t wait for him to return next year. But it wasn’t that. It’s been nagging hamstring injuries for the most part that have kept Watson off the field. I’ve read it all. “Cut him now” “He’s made of glass” “Why are we wasting our time with him?” Well, first off, the Packers aren’t the type of organization that gives up on a player that easily. Second, you don’t just cut a player who essentially averages 50 yards per game and averages 1 score in at least half the games he plays in.

After the 2023 season, the news was that Christian Watson along with cornerback Eric Stokes would be seeing a hamstring specialist at UW-Madison to hopefully diagnose their issues with the nagging injuries. It’s also worth noting that the Packers parted with strength and conditioning coach, Chris Gizzi and have since hired Aaron Hill to take his place. So, it appears measures are being taken to get Christian Watson to 100% for an entire season. But has the damage already been done?

Can Watson still forge a legacy in Green Bay?

Christian Watson still has two years remaining on his rookie contract. He’s not going anywhere. What happens in those two years will determine where his career goes after. There’s no question that Watson is an explosive talent. Matt LaFleur has stated, “We see his value when he’s going at full strength. His ability to make players for us. We’re better when he’s on the grass.”

Watson’s size and speed can create mismatches when he is going at 100%. We’ve seen those moments where he’s been a deep threat. We’ve seen those clutch catches in the endzone. The sideline tip-toes to maintain possession. He has all the makings of a top-notch wide receiver. There’s been a lot of criticism drawn around this comparison, but Christian Watson could be as good as Randy Moss if he could just stay on the field. He has the breakaway speed, and he also has the size to box out defenders and make the big catch. Given the current makeup of the Packers’ offensive roster, it’s not far-fetched either.

With Christian Watson being sidelined for almost half the season, receivers Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Romeo Doubs had notable 2023 campaigns. Even rookie tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft were looking like big weapons in their first season. Let’s not mention the fact that running back Aaron Jones is a beast whenever he touches the football. Along with all of this, if fans heard the Packers just drafted a 6’4 speedy wide receiver in the early second round to go with this, they’d be salivating. Well, that big wide receiver is already on the roster and has two years of experience in the offense already under his belt. Jordan Love already knows Christian Watson, there’s no awkward familiarity phase to go through, it’s time to cook.

When you look at Jordan Love’s 2023 season, he possibly left a good 300-400 passing yards on the table that he could’ve had. With a healthy Christian Watson on the outside all 17 games, Jayden Reed, and the tight ends in the middle with Doubs and Wicks scattered in as well, he could have earned that. Of course, all of it wouldn’t have gone to Christian Watson, but there’s a chance he could have commanded a decent amount. If Jordan Love proved one thing in his first year as the number-one quarterback, it’s that he wasn’t afraid to spread the ball around. I can’t quite put Christian Watson at 1K yards had he had a healthy 2023, but I’ll say at least 900.

If Christian Watson can remain 100% healthy for the 2024 season, I believe he could make strides alongside some of the best Packers receivers of the last 20 years. Given his deep ball threat, Watson could manage 1K yards in 2024. Add on 7-8 more touchdowns and he’s easily being considered for a contract extension early in 2025. Oddly enough his teammates who will help draw defenders off of him, will also take catches away so I’m not sure he eclipses much more than 1100-1200 yards, but that will still help Watson build a legacy with the team that traded two second-round picks to select him.

Injury woes have put a damper on the beginning of Christian Watson’s NFL career. But if that tough luck can turn around, I believe he could become one of the best receivers to wear a Packers jersey.