Watson scores TD, leads team in targets in win

Watson got on the board early with an 81-yard bomb for a touchdown in the first quarter. He continued to gash the Vikings for big plays throughout the contest and even got in the end zone a second time on a short toss from Jordan Love just before halftime. Watson slowed down in the second half, but the damage was already done, at least for fantasy purposes. He won’t hit a career-long score every week, but the well-paid wideout certainly looked like a focal point of the Packers’ passing attack today. He will be in the WR2 mix when the Packers take on the Jets.

Prior reports indicated that the Packers’ coaching staff realized that their frequent wide receiver rotation was rubbing their stars the wrong way, prompting a positional personnel churn this offseason. LaFleur’s comments confirm the Packers’ starting wide receiver trio is going to play a lot, and fantasy managers should take note. Watson played extremely well in his recent from an ACL tear last year. If that play carries over, he is a shoo-in WR2 with substantial upside. Golden could be in for a Year 2 leap, and Reed could reliably return FLEX value, or better, if his snap share is high enough.

We know this is getting into the weeds, but Reed’s weekly range of outcomes will be somewhat dependent on his access to heavy personnel packages. Through three NFL seasons, Reed has taken just 31 snaps in 12 personnel, so even a mild increase would boost his target-earning opportunities. Packers QB Jordan Love confirmed that second-year WR Matthew Golden is replacing WR Romeo Doubs as the X-receiver when speaking with the media today, so Golden and Watson (Z-receiver) will likely take the majority of 12 personnel reps this season. If Reed can at least send Golden to the sideline for a decent share of those opportunities, his fantasy managers would stand to benefit.

The extension was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes a $31 million signing bonus. The Packers have stocked their receiver room for years now. Green Bay let Romeo Doubs walk in free agency this offseason, but signed Watson and Jayden Reed to extensions this offseason after drafting Matthew Golden last year. Watson appeared in only 48 games in four seasons with the Packers. He appeared in just 10 games last year, but arguably had his best season and that was enough for Green Bay to lock him in as their top wideout for years to come.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter breaks the news, adding that Wicks will now sign a one-year, $12.5 million extension with the Eagles. Over the last four weeks, they also signed WR Hollywood Brown and WR Elijah Moore as well. Schefter reminds us that if the Eagles were to trade away WR A.J. Brown, that would probably happen after June 1st, “when the cap burden would be more manageable for the Eagles.” As things currently stand, Wicks will likely compete for WR3 duties. The trade also leaves Packers WR Christian Watson, WR Jayden Reed and WR Matthew Golden as the team’s top-three options after allowing WR Romeo Doubs to sign with the Patriots last month. The Eagles tacked on an additional year to Wicks’ contract after the deal, tying him to the franchise through the 2027 season. The extension includes $12.5 million in maximum money with $9 million guaranteed.

Watson remains under contract through 2026, having signed a one-year extension in September 2025. The 26-year-old wide receiver suffered a season-ending ACL tear in 2024 and retook the field for the first time in Week 8, 2025. He impressively averaged a career-high 2.28 yards per route run despite coming off a significant knee injury.

Watson came very close to a second touchdown, but he fumbled into the end zone with the ball being recovered by Green Bay and placed on the one-yard line to set up another score. The product of North Dakota State didn’t have any success in the second half, and the Packers’ second-half collapse keeps the Bears from moving on. Watson’s season line of 35 catches for 611 yards with six touchdowns is more impressive when you consider he didn’t play until the end of October, and the wideout appeared to build up chemistry with Jordan Love towards the end of the campaign; even with a lot of mouths to feed in the Green Bay passing attack. He’s under contract for 2026, and he’ll begin the 2026 campaign in the low-end WR, high-end WR3 conversation.

The Packers are locked in as the No. 7 seed with no ability to move up in the order. Jordan Love missed Week 17 with a concussion and Josh Jacobs has been playing through knee issues for most of the season. Christian Watson recently suffered a chest injury and has been playing through it as well. The list goes on and on for the Packers, as it does for most teams at this point in the season. With nothing to play for in Week 18, expect those three players and several others to get the week off as Green Bay prepares for a Wild Card Round game.

Watson scored on a 39-yard connection with Malik Willis on the Packers’ first drive of the game. The two made a few more connections in the contest in a solid effort where Watson didn’t appear to be bothered by his shoulder or the illness he picked up earlier in the week. Watson and the Packers get a game with essentially zero playoff ramifications against the Vikings in Week 18 to end the regular season.

Watson practiced fully on Tuesday and Wednesday before being downgraded with an illness on Friday. Fortunately, the Packers’ No. 1 wide receiver is good to go. Both the Packers (9-5-1) and Bears (11-4) have secured playoff spots, though the exact seeding has not yet been determined. The Packers declared QB Jordan Love, DL Collin Oliver, OL Zach Tom, WR Savion Williams, DL Nazir Stackhouse and DL Barryn Sorrell inactive for Week 17 against the Ravens. Packers S Evan Williams (knee) is active. As expected, QB Malik Willis (shoulder/illness) gets the start.