GREEN BAY \u2014 Christian Watson was certain on Monday that, if the Green Bay Packers were playing on Sunday for a berth in Super Bowl LX, he would be on the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, I feel like if it was the NFC Championship Game tomorrow, I would be able to go out there and feel confident \u2014 for sure,\u201d the Packers fourth-year wide receiver said in his first comments since signing a one-year contract extension last week. \u201cBut at the end of the day, I\u2019ve got to be as smart as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the thing about Watson\u2019s lot in life at the moment. Last week, he signed a one-year extension that includes $11 million in new money for 2026, including a guaranteed $6 million signing bonus.<\/p>\n
On the one hand, the goal of the deal was to ease the pressure Watson was feeling to get back on the field during a contract year \u2014 to be fair, the Packers did protect themselves a bit with a combined $1.85 million in per-game roster bonuses, meaning Watson gets 1\/17th of that amount with each game he plays next year \u2014 so he wouldn\u2019t be tempted to rush back onto the field to earn his next contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely took a lot of pressure off of my mind, for sure,\u201d Watson said, adding that it was \u201cin the works for quite some time, on and off throughout the offseason.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, Watson admitted Monday that he is still \u201cchamping at the bit\u201d to return to action as soon as possible, even with the security the one-year extension provides financially.<\/p>\n
So for now, Watson remains on the physically unable to perform list following offseason surgery to repair the torn ACL he suffered in his right knee in the team\u2019s Jan. 5 regular-season finale against Chicago. He must miss, at minimum, Sunday\u2019s game at Cleveland and the team\u2019s Sept 28 game at Dallas before being eligible to start practicing.<\/p>\n
Once the Packers open the 21-day practice window for Watson, he can be activated at any time. And if he gets his way, he\u2019ll be back after the team\u2019s Week 5 bye.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to understand what’s the smartest way to go about it at the same time,\u201d said Watson, adding that he has done everything he could besides actually practicing in a live situation. \u201cI feel like I’ve learned from experiences in the past of trying to get out there too quickly, unfortunately.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m going to want to get out there, but at the same time, I’ve got to know that I’m 110% to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 2022 second-round pick out of North Dakota State, Watson has shown flashes of being a game-changing, big-play receiver but battled persistent hamstring issues his first two seasons.<\/p>\n
But before the ACL tear, Watson stayed healthy for 15 games last year, missing an Oct. 6 win over the Los Angeles Rams with an ankle injury and a Dec. 29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a minor left knee injury.<\/p>\n
Watson wasn\u2019t even supposed to play against the Bears in the regular-season finale but was active after fellow wide receiver Romeo Doubs fell ill and didn\u2019t suit up for the game. Watson then went down in a heap with the non-contact injury on his 10th snap of the game.<\/p>\n
He finished the season with 29 receptions for a career-high 620 yards (for a team-leading 21.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. And despite the injury against the Bears, he spent the entire offseason around the team and taking on a leadership role in the receiver room.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless of the business side of everything, I feel like I knew how appreciated I was in the building just from being in the building every day, for sure,\u201d Watson said. \u201cTo finally get something done, it gives you that kind of extra stamp on everything. But I feel like even before the deal I knew how appreciated I was in the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if he considered playing out the season and betting on himself that he could earn much more with a strong second half of the year once he was back in action, Watson replied, \u201cFor sure. I know what I\u2019m capable of. I think that I know what I\u2019m worth as a player.\u00a0 But it\u2019s a risk and reward when it comes down to it with the injuries that I\u2019ve had in the past and obviously coming back from a major injury like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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