GREEN BAY — In their perfect world — and we all know that the NFL is anything but that — Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs would have already more than proven themselves to the Green Bay Packers’ braintrust and would already have signed contract extensions that delivered financial and job security. 

Instead, both fourth-year wide receivers enter the final years of their rookie contracts with much to prove and much to overcome as they face uncertain football futures.

Watson, of course, heads into 2025 still recovering from reconstructive surgery on his right knee after tearing his ACL in the Packers’ loss to the Chicago Bears in the Jan. 5 regular-season finale — a game he wasn’t even supposed to play in until Doubs fell ill and didn’t suit up for the game. Watson then went down in a heap with the non-contact injury on his 10th snap of the game.

Having finally overcome persistent hamstring issues, he played in 15 games and finished the season with 29 receptions for a career-high 620 yards (for a team-leading 21.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.

But the timing of his injury — although he has posted videos on social media of him running and cutting, it seems unlikely that the Packers’ traditionally conservative medical staff would green-light him for the start of training camp on July 23 — was not only problematic, but his future prospects were further complicated by the team drafting a pair of wide receivers in April: First-round pick Matthew Golden, and third-round pick Savion Williams.

“I was raised to be a fighter and to chase after the things that I want,” said Watson, who spent organized team activity and minicamp practices stretching and spectating, but not participating. “I’ve gotten a lot in my life so far, but there’s still a lot of things that I want, so I’m going to keep on fighting for it.”

Then, there’s the curious case of Doubs, who seemingly was well on his way to a contract extension entering the 2024 season until he decided to go AWOL for two days of practice last October because he was displeased with his role in the offense — and drew a one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team” for doing so.

He also sustained a pair of concussions — one against San Francisco on Nov. 24, the other in the team’s season-ending NFC wild card playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl LIX-champion Philadelphia Eagles — with the first one causing him to miss two games, and the second almost certainly forcing him to sit out the Packers’ next playoff game had they advanced.

Now, he heads into 2025 knowing that, as a 2022 fourth-round pick, he needs a big year to earn a big payday — from the Packers, or from someone else in free agency next March.

Back in 2023, Doubs led the Packers’ wide receivers in offensive snaps played (845) and targets (96), tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions (eight) and ranked second on the team in both catches (59) and yards (674).

Last year, he finished with 46 catches for 601 yards and four touchdowns on 67 targets in his 13 games last season, and despite missing those four games, he still finished second among wideouts in offensive snaps played (660, 60.9%).

“I can only speak to what I know, and what I know every day is how he comes in the building,” head coach Matt LaFleur said when asked about Doubs’ offseason performance. “Watching him work, I mean, he looks great out there.

“He does a great job. He’s come in, and he’s just worked. And obviously he’s played a lot of snaps for us and has had a lot of production. So I’m excited about where he’s at.”

If Doubs can produce consistently and Watson can get the all-clear earlier than first projected, their presence in the lineup would allow the Packers to bring Golden along at the ideal pace for him — which still could be playing him extensively right away — and gradually expand his role.

Although Doubs, for his part, isn’t thinking about any of that.

Asked during minicamp if he regretted his decision to stay home from work last year, Doubs replied, “I’m going to be completely honest with you, man. Is there some regret behind that? There is. But obviously what’s in the past stays in the past.

“I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do, getting my workouts in, making sure I eat the right foods and just letting things take care of itself. I’m just being a football player.

“My goal going into this year is to be a winner, obviously to be a player within this offense and ultimately to help out two receivers that are here learning the system.”

About our “Most Important Packers of 2025” Series: When the Packers kick off their seventh training camp under head coach Matt LaFleur on July 23, they’ll do so with a host of players facing pivotal seasons. LaFleur clearly believes he has ample talent to be a Super Bowl contender — even if he didn’t want to say so as the offseason program came to a close — but turning that belief into reality will require many of those players to produce at higher levels than they have in the past. This series, which began in 2010 on ESPNWisconsin.com, examines each of those players and how the team’s success hinges on their contributions. The list is compiled with input from team observers, former players and NFL sources.

​COPYRIGHT 2025 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.