Packers Giving Christian Watson $110 Million Contract Doesn’t Sit Well with NFL Veteran

The Green Bay Packers signed wide receiver Christian Watson to a four-year, $110 million contract that includes a $31 million in guaranteed money.

Packers Giving Christian Watson $110 Million Contract Doesn’t Sit Well with NFL Veteran

Christian Watson and TJ Houshmandzadeh inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/Speakeasy)

The Green Bay Packers’ signing of wide receiver Christian Watson to a four-year, $110 million contract extension seems confusing to former NFL player TJ Houshmandzadeh. Injuries have limited Watson to just 45 starts in his first four seasons in the league.

Houshmandzadeh believes Watson has the potential to be a special player for the Packers. However, that hasn’t often been emulated on the field. His rookie year was arguably the best in terms of production, catching 41 passes for 611 yards and 7 touchdowns.

That’s not all. Green Bay also gave Jayden Reed a three-year contract extension. He will earn a total of $50 million over the course of the next three years (2029 season). It includes $20 million in guaranteed money and an average annual value (AAV) of $16.75 million.

Moreover, the Packers drafted Texas alum Matthew Golden, 23rd overall, last year. Golden played sparingly, missing three weeks due to a shoulder injury. He appeared in 14 games but started in just 9. He registered 29 receptions for 361 yards and zero touchdowns.

Sure, it wasn’t the best of starts for Golden, but the Packers view him as an emerging superstar. So, keeping that in mind, Houshmandzadeh questioned the Packers’ decision to pay both Watson and Reed now.

Your life is forever changed… But on the football field, Christian Watson is big, his tall, his quick… He just can’t stay healthy. And so your first four years if that has been a problem things are gonna have to drastically change or the Green Bay Packers have made a bad decision and they are gonna be in cap hell.

TJ Houshmandzadeh said on a recent segment of Speakeasy

Houshmandzadeh also pointed out a peculiar detail in Watson’s contract. Although the 27-year-old is slated to earn $110 million within the next five years, he only has $31 million guaranteed (in signing bonuses). It’s not something one comes across in a contract. Could this perhaps be a loophole placed by the Packers to cut their losses early without taking on much future dead money? If so, Watson must deliver to avoid experiencing that fate.

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Christian Watson is looking forward to the new season after signing a contract extension

The Packers drafted Watson, a North Dakota State alum, 34th overall in 2022. Watson suffered a knee injury and underwent surgery even before playing an official game for the Packers. A year later, a hamstring injury limited him to just 9 appearances.

Packers Giving Christian Watson $110 Million Contract Doesn't Sit Well With NFL Veteran
Christian Watson (Image via IMAGO)

During the Week 18 fixture against the Chicago Bears in 2024, Watson went down with a non-contact injury and was carted off. He missed the playoffs. In the 2025 offseason, Watson tore his ACL and only made his seasonal debut in week eight.

Despite his poor injury history, the Packers still decided to sign Watson to a four-year deal, and he aims to pay the club back for keeping faith in him.

I mean, 100%, I’m looking forward to that. 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.

Christian Watson said via Dave Schroeder of WBAY-TV

Earlier in the year, the Packers let Romeo Doubs leave the building. Doubs, who caught 202 passes for 2424 yards and scored 21 touchdowns during his four years in Green Bay, signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the New England Patriots.

The Packers went 9-7-1 in 2025. In the playoffs, they played the Bears and lost 31-27. Quarterback Jordan Love threw 291 completions for 3381 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Running back Josh Jacobs rushed 234 times for 929 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department in Brown County, Wisconsin, booked Jacobs on five domestic battery-related charges. He was released from jail, but the case remains open.

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