The Detroit Lions are looking to get back to the top of the NFC North, and they may have gotten some help from one of their hated rivals. The Green Bay Packers may have become the division's laughing stock, and that's a lot to say, given the J.J. McCarthy fiasco.
Despite never playing a full season, the Packers continue to trust Christian Watson. More than that, they've given him another contract extension for the second year in a row, though this is one they might come to regret.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Packers signed Watson to a four-year contract extension worth a whopping $110.5 million. That includes a $31 million signing bonus for one of the most overpaid and overrated players in the game.
The Lions will reap the benefits of this Packers' overpay
The Packers are now giving $27 million a year to a player who has never played a full campaign. He has zero Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections and has never had more than seven touchdowns. 620 receiving yards, or 41 receptions in a season. That's just poor asset management.
Of course, Watson is undeniably talented, and he was projected to be a star when they first took him out of North Dakota State back in 2022. That said, availability will always be the best of abilities, and aging players don't get healthier.
So far, Watson has hauled in 25 catches for 478 yards and has scored three touchdowns in seven games vs. the Lions. Notably, that includes two 100-yard games, though they did hold him to four catches on 10 targets in their last meeting.
He should be in for a bigger role in 2026. Tucker Kraft is coming back from an ACL injury, and the Packers let Romeo Doubs walk away in free agency before trading Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.
With former first-round pick Matthew Golden looking like a bust in his first year, it looks like the Packers will have to rely on Watson early and often in 2026. That should make them easier to neutralize, since they'll be predictable and have few alternatives.
Moreover, a heavier workload also means more wear and tear, and Watson has already proven he cannot withstand the physical burden of NFL football. He's missed 20 of 68 regular-season games in just four years, and it should be just a matter of time before he's back in street clothes.
This has the makings of a disaster, and the Packers might be carrying plenty of dead money for years once they finally come to terms with the fact that he can't be trusted to stay on the field.
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