How will the Packers have to reorient their offense without Christian Watson?

The speedy Watson not only provided big plays, but created enormous space for his teammates. What's next for Matt LaFleur's offense without him?

The NBA realized three-point shooters, highly proficient ones especially, drew so much attention teams looked for a way to measure the gravity those players create. It didn’t take any Isaac Newton-level thinking to get the gist: if defenders have to worry about a three-point shooter, they can’t leave them to help to another player. Their shooting has its own value when the shots go down, but their value as floor spacers goes beyond the buckets. The same is true for speedy receivers in the NFL, and much like basketball, a player doesn’t have to be an elite player overall to create elite levels of gravity.

Christian Watson proves that point. With Watson on the field, the Packers averaged almost two full yards more per passing attempt than with him on the bench or injured. Pro Football Now’s Theo Ash found even more compelling splits: with Watson, the Green Bay receiver group averaged 1.67 yards per route run and a 3.7% explosive play rate. Those figures would lead the league.

Without Watson, they averaged 1.3 yards per route run and 2.4% explosive play rate, which would rank 13th and 19th—not terrible, but not … first.

Watson makes safeties bail hard, opening up underneath routes for everyone else. When they didn’t, he either ran by them or to daylight on deep overs and crossers to create big plays.

He was also their trump card against man coverage. It’s no coincidence each of the last three times the Packers played the Detroit Lions, a primarily man team, the passing game centered around Watson. The third-year burner finished 6th in yards per route run against man coverage among qualifying receivers in 2024. Green Bay doesn’t have another receiver in the top 50.

Dontayvion Wick ranks 102 out of 105, in part because of his preposterous drop rate.