Packers’ Christian Watson speaks on competitiveness after big contract

One of the biggest concerns with young players is their first contract. It’s not uncommon to see young stars play worse after earning their first big deal, as they put less effort into their play. When the Green Bay Packers gave a sizable contract to wide receiver Christian Watson, this was certainly on some of the fans’ minds.

Watson allayed these fears during one of his interviews. The Green Bay Packers wide receiver said that he’ll remain competitive, as it’s one of the things that he loves about playing football. This should be an encouraging sign for the fans to see.

“I mean, 100%, I’m looking forward to that,” Watson said. “I mean, the thing I love most about football is the competitiveness, and I wanna compete every single play. The more opportunities, the better for me. Obviously, I know it’s not reasonable, but if I could, I would wanna be out there every single play. So, however many opportunities that I get this year, I’m gonna try to make the most out of every single one.”

The Packers handed Watson a 4-year, $110.5 million contract extension today. Watson, who was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has been one of the more consistent, if not a bit underwhelming, wide receivers for Green Bay over the last few years. He hasn’t been able to fully grow into a potential WR1 for the team, notching 2,264 yards through four seasons. Injuries have hampered his ability to produce, too, having played 10 or less games in two of his four seasons with the team.

Watson has an opportunity to prove himself in Year 5. One of the Packers’ top receivers, Romeo Doubs, left this offseason. Watson will now be competing with Jayden Reed and sophomore Matthew Golden for the WR1 this season. He’ll also greatly benefit from the return of Tucker Kraft, one of the best tight ends in the league. We’ll see if Watson can officially cement himself as the top wide receiver in Green Bay with his big-play capabilities: he had a good game against the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card round last year, catching one of the touchdowns.