The Green Bay Packers came into the 2025 season with two starting receivers on the final years of their contracts: Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Both were taken in the 2022 draft, with Watson taken 34th
overall and Doubs drafted 132nd.
Before Watson ever returned from his ACL tear that he suffered in the 2024 season, he signed a one-year extension with the team worth $11 million plus incentives. Meanwhile, Doubs has yet to receive a second contract from the team.
According to sources I’ve spoken with, Doubs’ camp attempted to get the ball moving on an extension around the combine last offseason. Those requests were shot down by the Packers, who were worried about locking in the receiver to a long-term contract because of Doubs’ concussion history (he had two in the second half of the 2024 season).
The heat only turned up at the receiver position (no one wants to be the odd man left out of an extension) when the Packers drafted first-round pick Matthew Golden and third-round pick Savion Williams in April. The logjam at the position is one reason why Jayden Reed’s new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, set up a meeting with Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst immediately after the draft.
Going into 2026, Doubs’ contract has expired, and Watson, Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are all in contract years. Green Bay will likely only keep one of these players long-term, maybe two, considering the squad’s cap situation over the next three years.
As I’ve been told, the Packers are not expected to retain Doubs, as contract talks stalled this offseason and haven’t really picked up at any point in any meaningful way. The assumption is that when Doubs tests the market as a free agent this year, he will be able to net a deal similar to Khalil Shakir’s, in the $13 million per year range. If that’s Doubs’ number, Green Bay should be able to collect a 2027 fifth-round compensatory draft pick for losing Doubs, as long as they don’t offset the loss with an outside signing in free agency. (The Packers will probably hit the maximum of four compensatory picks this offseason. Between that and their cap situation, don’t expect them to be in the free agent market much in 2026. They’re in a bad situation to spend and are incentivized to stay out of free agency.)
On Wednesday, Doubs was asked by FanDuel’s Kay Adams about whether he’s coming back to Green Bay next year. Here was his response:
I would leave that unknown. I would love to be a Green Bay Packer, but I’m just aware of this business. I understand how things go.
Other NFL teams also recognized the Packers’ situation with Doubs, in that Green Bay didn’t want to pay him long-term. Throughout 2025, the Packers received several trade offers for the receiver, but none that they believed were worth the offset of his 2025 contributions to the team and the 2027 compensatory pick they would receive if they let his contract expire. Some teams even offered a lower draft pick in the 2026 class than the 2027 comp pick that the Packers are expected to receive, with the thought being that maybe Green Bay would take a discount if the pick came to them a draft class quicker.
The situation at receiver was tough early on, as Watson started the season on the injured reserve and Reed was placed on the injured reserve after breaking his collarbone in Week 2. On top of that, Williams dealt with a season-long foot injury, one reason why he was limited to just 91 offensive snaps over 12 games as a rookie. Doubs’ ability to produce for the Packers in 2025, even if it was limited to just 2025, was a major factor in keeping him in green and gold for the final season of his rookie deal.
Over four years, Doubs, a fourth-round selection, has caught 202 balls for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Packers. In 2025, he set a career high in receiving yards (724) and finished second in receptions (55) and receiving touchdowns (6), which only fell short of his 2023 campaign (59 and 8).
With Doubs expected to be out, the Packers’ starting outside receiver will be Watson and one of Wicks or Melton in 2026 with Reed in the slot. Backing those four up will be cornerback-in-name-only Bo Melton and Williams.
