The landscape at wide receiver in Green Bay changed this offseason, as the Packers went from a deeper, more fluid depth chart to a streamlined group that will rely on its "Big 3" of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden.
Training camp also looks different, with all of Jordan Love’s top targets at receiver able to begin the season healthy. Last year, Watson missed the entirety of training camp as he worked his way back from a significant knee injury, while Reed dealt with a Jones fracture in his foot during camp.
With Watson and Reed healthy, and Golden now having a year of experience under his belt, there is reason for positivity as practices get underway.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Watson was optimistic about the outlook
of Green Bay’s receiver room, but admitted it is time for them to take another step forward as a group.
He said: “We’ve got all the potential in the world. I don’t necessarily like that word (potential) all the time, because we’ve had a lot of potential the past few years in the receiver room.
“We wish we would’ve accomplished more as a group, so we’ve gotta find a way to turn that potential into success and make those plays, make catches and score touchdowns.
“I think we’ve got everything we need in the receiver room. I'm excited to see how we continue to grow through this training camp and hit the ground running when it’s Week 1."
For his part, Watson has battled with injuries throughout his NFL career so far, playing only 48 regular season games out of a possible 68. This has capped his ability to put up numbers, with his career high for receiving yards in a season at 647, including the postseason.
He achieved that mark this past season in only 11 games after returning from an ACL tear, and now Watson will be looking to put together a full season and make good on the four-year, $92 million contract he was handed this offseason.
Reed led the Packers in receiving in each of his first two campaigns, but had injury issues towards the end of 2024, and again in 2025, breaking his collarbone in week two while already playing through a fractured foot.
It has been a while since Reed was producing consistently. Between the start of his rookie year and Christmas Day 2024, he had 1,914 yards from scrimmage. He has just 400 yards since then.
Tucker Kraft tearing his ACL midway through 2025 meant the Packers never had Watson, Reed and Kraft all available at the same time. Getting the full group on the field will be a huge boost to the Packers offense, as Kraft nears a return.
Watson discussed the importance of having everyone healthy at this time of year, saying: “The more reps we can get as a group, the better off we’ll be as an offense.
“That’ll build that trust, that connection, there’s a lot of intricacies with timing and everything, so I’m excited to mesh with this group. We’ll hopefully get Tuck back soon and take that another level further."
The other part of the equation is Golden, who found targets hard to come by as a rookie in such a busy receiver room. Watson is looking forward to seeing him progress in year two as he gets ready to take on a larger role in the offense.
He said: “I think it’ll be an exciting training camp for (Golden) just in terms of cutting it loose, going out there and making plays.
“The hardest part about training camp and being a young guy who’s eager to go out there is that there’s only one football to go around, so I think he’s done a great job of embracing the fact that he can win a rep even without getting the ball on that play."
There was a reward for Golden at the end of a frustrating season in the form of a sensational touchdown against the Bears in the playoffs, after waiting all year for his first NFL score.
On what that can do for Golden moving forward, Watson said: “All it takes is one play or one game to light that spark and it’s off to the races at that point, so I think he has taken that leap and gotten that confidence in himself to go out there and play fast."
Another name to watch this summer is Isaiah Neyor, who turned heads during the offseason program and made an impressive touchdown catch on day one of training camp. His teammates have been similarly impressed, even going back to last season.
Watson said of Neyor: “He’s got all the tools. He’s got good speed, he’s obviously got the length and the size, and just his playmaking ability. From the moment he got here, (even if) it was on the scout team last year, finding ways to make plays.
“For any young guy it really just comes down to getting the system down, getting enough confidence from the coaching staff and the other players that when you’re out there, you’re going to do the right thing, he continues to grow in that aspect."
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Christian Watson says Packers WRs must fulfill 'potential' in 2026
