Latest news with #ChristianWatson
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Wideout Possibilities for Pittsburgh Steelers' New QB Aaron Rodgers
Three Wideout Possibilities for Pittsburgh Steelers' New QB Aaron Rodgers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers finally have their man under center. Former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year deal to wear the black and gold in 2025, and the Steelers could now be on the hunt to find him one or more additional weapons. Advertisement named three potential targets for the Steelers to acquire to play opposite DK Metcalf on Sundays. Free agent, Keenan Allen is the first one on the list, and NFLA labels him the best available option. "The free agency market still features a few impactful pass catchers who could now see Pittsburgh as an appealing destination. They'd get an opportunity to play with a Hall of Fame quarterback, while contributing to a roster that has the talent to make the postseason. While Amari Cooper is available and Gabe Davis has already been in for a visit, Keenan Allen is the best available." Green Bay Packers wideout Christian Watson is second on the list, who appears to now be "expendable." Advertisement "This one is more of a 'hot fix'. Christian Watson is heading into the final year of his contract with the Green Bay Packers. They just drafted a wide receiver in the first round, and Watson has fallen into the depths of the rotation as a result. The Packers' predicted lineup is Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed, meaning Watson is expendable as depth." Finally, and probably the most unlikely on the list, is New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave. "The Pittsburgh Steelers had already enquired about Chris Olave earlier this year. Eventually, they made the move for DK Metcalf, but the Saints receiver was on their radar. A little like Watson, health concerns are a factor. In Olave's case, it's been a long string of concussions, the latest of which knocked him out for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season." If the Steelers do make a move, it'll be because they believe they're in "win now" mode with Rodgers at the helm. Advertisement Related: Steelers New QB Aaron Rodgers Sets Date for First Press Conference Related: Steelers Believe Aaron Rodgers' 'Best Field Vision' Can Fix Offense This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Christian Watson analysis: Electric upside, but injuries cloud future in Green Bay
Christian Watson analysis: Electric upside, but injuries cloud future in Green Bay Christian Watson is in an interesting and difficult situation entering the final year of his rookie deal in Green Bay, as he rehabs from an ACL injury which is expected to cost him at least part of the 2025 season, despite reportedly being ahead of schedule in his recovery. This leaves his future with the Packers somewhat up in the air. Finding a compromise on a contract to keep him on the team in 2026 and beyond projects to be difficult, and depends greatly on how quickly and effectively he can return to his pre-injury form. In terms of what Watson has brought to Green Bay in his three years so far, here is what the numbers say about his overall profile as a wide receiver: Strengths Watson's primary usage in his NFL career to date has been as a deep threat, where he is a constant threat to create an explosive play due to his electric speed and unique size. Among qualified NFL receivers, he ranks in the 92nd percentile in average depth of target (ADOT) since entering the league, and the 85th percentile for yards per reception (Y/REC), evidencing his ability to hurt teams deep. Whenever he has been on the field, Watson has been a very valuable receiver, ranking in the 72nd percentile for yards per route run (Y/RR), one of the more reliable statistics for analyzing the quality of receivers. His speed has also allowed him to be one of the better receivers in the league in creating yards after the catch, ranking in the 74th percentile in yards after catch per reception (YAC/REC). If Watson gets the ball in space, it is hard to run him down. Watson's stature has helped him to be strong in contested catch situations, not just deep, but in all areas of the field, as he is able to box out defenders. He ranks in the 72nd percentile in contested catch percentage (CTC%). With 14 touchdowns in three years, Watson has a knack for finding the end zone. This number may not seem overly impressive, but when taking account of how much time he has missed, it becomes more notable. Watson ranks in the 74th percentile for touchdowns per target. The intermediate part of the field is the portion where Watson has been the most efficient, ranking in the 70th percentile for both Y/REC and Y/RR. The lowest percentage of his dropped passes came in the 10-19 yard area, as he ranks in the 66th percentile for drop rate in this range. A particularly important element of Watson's game for this Packers team has been his ability to beat man coverage, an aspect many of his teammates have struggled with. Watson has been excellent against man, ranking in the 82nd percentile for Y/RR and the 68th for Y/REC. He has often been Green Bay's answer when presented with man coverage, and his absence was certainly felt when he missed time in 2024 in that regard. He is still effective against zone, ranking in the 86th percentile for Y/REC and the 61st for Y/REC, although his drop rate is much worse, ranking in the 27th percentile compared to 65th percentile versus man. Weaknesses The flashes are so bright with Watson, and the impact he can have on a game on just a few targets is special, but arguably the biggest problem is that he has simply not been able to have that impact regularly enough. A huge part of that is availability. Watson has missed a lot of time with injuries in his first three seasons. Combine that with the competitive receiver group he plays in, and Watson ranks in just the 28th percentile for targets since his rookie year. It feels a bit harsh to call this a weakness, but for one reason or another, Watson has not been able to become a high volume receiver, and his role has settled in as something of a boom/bust rather than a true "number one" receiver. Watson has battled drops throughout his NFL career so far, like many of his teammates, ranking in the 32nd percentile in drop rate since 2022. Despite his elite speed which helps him get yards after the catch, Watson is not elusive with the ball in his hands, ranking in the 35th percentile for missed tackles forced per reception. He is not a shifty, agile player in that sense. There are not many true weaknesses with Watson, with the injuries, which are not his fault, the biggest issue which have caused his NFL career to feel very stop/start. Trending up After an extremely tough rookie year in terms of drops, ranking in just the 3rd percentile, Watson has actually improved quite significantly since then, ranking in the 45th percentile in 2023 and the 46th last season. These numbers are still slightly below average, but nothing to worry about. Despite his size/speed profile, Watson was not an especially efficient deep target as a rookie, ranking in the 32nd percentile for Y/RR. Part of that may have been a lack of chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, and he has become a much more effective deep threat since Jordan Love took over, ranking in the 42nd percentile for Y/RR in 2023 and the 72nd in 2024. His Y/REC has also improved each year. Trending down Watson showed some ability to make defenders miss as a rookie, ranking in the 60th percentile in missed tackles forced per reception, but he dropped to the 30th percentile in 2023 and the 15th in 2024. It is likely at least partially due to his usage and not being put in positions to make things happen after the catch as often. Touchdown totals can be volatile and are somewhat circumstantial, and Watson ran colder in that regard in 2024, ranking in the 33rd percentile compared to the 98th and 91st in his first two years. While Watson has become a crucial part of Green Bay's ability to overcome man coverage, he has been a much lesser part of their offense against zone coverage, which makes sense given the Packers have plenty of other receivers who excel versus zone. After ranking in the 66th percentile in target percentage against zone as a rookie, he only ranked in the 32nd and 22nd percentile in the last two years respectively. Overall, Watson has a unique skill set and explosive potential, and on a snap to snap basis has arguably been Green Bay's best receiver in his three years with the team, but his regular impact has unfortunately been consistently hampered by injuries. The ACL tear has thrown another wrench into the equation on whether the Packers keep Watson long term, but if he can return earlier than expected and quickly regain his full abilities, he has a chance to show enough to convince Green Bay he is worth handing an extension to. Given how difficult it could be to find a number both sides are happy with though, and the depth the Packers now have at receiver, it seems it will be harder to thread the needle on the timeline that would have to occur in order for Watson to be a Packer in 2026.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Matt LaFleur: Christian Watson ahead of schedule in ACL recovery
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson gave a positive update on his recovery from a torn ACL in early May and his head coach did the same as the month wound down. Watson opened Wednesday's OTA practice on the field while the team was stretching before moving over to the rehab field. Matt LaFleur did not say when Watson, who was injured in Week 18, might be ready for a fuller workload, but he did say he thinks it could be sooner than originally expected. Advertisement 'Christian is doing outstanding,' LaFleur said, via Ryan Wood of 'I would say he's ahead of schedule, but I'm not a doctor. I'm not medical staff. So we'll see where he's at.' A stint on the PUP list to open training camp seems likely for Watson and remaining on the list into the regular season would keep him out for at least four games, but there will be more updates on Watson's condition from Green Bay before any decision like that needs to be made.
NBC Sports
29-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Matt LaFleur: Christian Watson ahead of schedule in ACL recovery
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson gave a positive update on his recovery from a torn ACL in early May and his head coach did the same as the month wound down. Watson opened Wednesday's OTA practice on the field while the team was stretching before moving over to the rehab field. Matt LaFleur did not say when Watson, who was injured in Week 18, might be ready for a fuller workload, but he did say he thinks it could be sooner than originally expected. 'Christian is doing outstanding,' LaFleur said, via Ryan Wood of 'I would say he's ahead of schedule, but I'm not a doctor. I'm not medical staff. So we'll see where he's at.' A stint on the PUP list to open training camp seems likely for Watson and remaining on the list into the regular season would keep him out for at least four games, but there will be more updates on Watson's condition from Green Bay before any decision like that needs to be made.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 takeaways from Packers OTAs: Updates on Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and more
5 takeaways from Packers OTAs: Updates on Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and more Organized team activities have begun in Green Bay, with the first practice featuring both rookies and veterans taking place on Wednesday. Here are some takeaways from the first OTA practice open to the media: Two expected and two unexpected absentees Four Packers were not in attendance Wednesday: Jaire Alexander, Tyron Herring, Elgton Jenkins and John Williams. The reasons for Herring and Williams' absences are unknown at this point, but Alexander and Jenkins not attending is unsurprising as they handle their respective contract issues. There were more indications this week that Alexander and the Packers could be close to reconciliation, as The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reported the team has offered the All-Pro corner a restructured deal, and that Alexander wants to return to Green Bay this year. Xavier McKinney, who has become a good friend of Alexander's, said 'we would all like him back' when speaking to the media Wednesday, Injury updates The list of those not practicing due to injury was: Warren Brinson, John FitzPatrick, Jadon Janke, MarShawn Lloyd, Jeremiah Martin, Collin Oliver, Nesta Jade Silvera, Quay Walker and Christian Watson. Savion Williams practiced in a red "non-contact" jersey. Head coach Matt LaFleur issued a positive update on Watson, claiming the receiver is 'ahead of schedule' in his ACL tear recovery. He said of the other injured players: 'I don't anticipate anything too long term." Jayden Reed provided some background on the injury he suffered in the Wild Card loss to Philadelphia, and it sounds like the issue was quite serious. Reed told the media the shoulder injury was a dislocation and a partially torn labrum, and while he did not have surgery, based on the recovery timetable of four to five months he laid out, with the injury happening in January, it would seem he has only recently fully recovered. Search for 'best five' offensive linemen is underway As has become the standard in Green Bay, there was plenty of rotation along the offensive line on Wednesday, as young players in particular continue to cross-train at various positions. With Elgton Jenkins not practicing, Sean Rhyan rotated at both his usual right guard spot and center, with Jacob Monk, the presumed backup center, doing the same. From what LaFleur said post-practice, it sounded like Rhyan filled in at center so the team could split the field in half and essentially run two practices at once. Given LaFleur brought this up unprompted, it would seem this was more a logistical situation than a case of Rhyan truly "competing" at center. Jordan Morgan practiced at left tackle with the second-team offense behind Rasheed Walker, as had been expected, with the team being fairly open about moving him out to his natural left tackle position. But he also took some snaps at right guard with the ones, which was again likely due to Jenkins' absence on the interior. Meanwhile, rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton split time between left tackle with twos, and right tackle with the twos and threes. Defensive backfield rotations While it has been tempting to spend the offseason wondering how each player fits into a specific role in Green Bay's defensive backfield, the truth is that it will likely be a fluid situation with plenty of rotation week to week, or even drive to drive. The tone was set in that regard at the first OTA practice, with the Packers staying true to their word that new signing Nate Hobbs would line up both inside and outside. Evan Williams and Javon Bullard rotated with the ones at safety opposite McKinney. In a surprising development, newly added Gregory Junior, a former sixth-round pick who has played just one snap of defense since week 14 of 2023, got some time with the first-team defense in the nickel. Matthew Golden makes an impression Rookie first-round pick Golden was smooth in running his routes Wednesday, and looked the part of a first-rounder. He took some snaps with the ones, which has become less unusual for rookies in Green Bay in recent years, but was nonetheless an encouraging sign for the Packers' premium draft investment.
