GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Christian Watson knows he potentially left money on the table by accepting the one-year, $11 million contract extension he signed with the Green Bay Packers last week, but he did so in part so he doesn't have to worry about it whenever he's cleared to return from his ACL surgery.
As for that return, he expects it to be at the earliest possible date -- at least when it comes to being able to practice.
Watson must remain on the physically unable to perform list for two more weeks but can begin practicing as soon as that four-week stay on the PUP list is complete. That would be almost exactly nine months from the time of his right knee injury in the regular-season finale.
Because the Packers have a bye in Week 5, his first chance to practice would be in Week 6.
"I think that's up to the training staff, but I'd assume whenever my window opens up, I'll be able to work in a little bit," Watson said Monday, speaking for the first time since he signed his deal.
The contract contained a $6,067,078 million signing bonus to go along with a $1.1 million base salary this season, which would have been the final year of his rookie deal. He now will have a base salary of $3.42 million in 2026 plus up to $1.825 million in weekly roster bonuses -- $107,350 per-game active, one of the largest per-game roster bonuses the Packers have ever agreed to.
"The gist of the deal really was what it was: It's to take a little bit of pressure off myself to feel like I have to do more than I should be doing to get back, and once I got back ... being as smart with it, trying to go out there and just not do too much," Watson said. "So for me, it was really just to take that pressure off myself, so I can kind of just go out there when I get back and just play free. It's definitely a blessing. It means a lot to me, and I'm glad we were able to get it done."
Watson, 26, could have gambled and played out the rest of the season before seeing what his value would have been.
"I think that I know what I'm worth as a player when comparing it to the market and whatnot," Watson said. "But it's a risk and reward when it comes down to it with the injuries that I've had in the past and obviously coming back from a major injury like this. So just weighing the risk and weighing the reward of going both ways with it."
Watson, the Packers' best deep-threat receiver, who has a whopping 16.9-yard per catch career average, has sat out 13 of a possible 51 regular-season games during the three seasons since being drafted 34th in 2022. He has battled hamstring and knee injuries. In fact, he had just come back from a left knee injury when he tore the ACL in his right knee.
"I feel like I've learned from experiences in the past of trying to get out there too quick, unfortunately, and I just got to try to be as smart as possible. So when I know that I'm ready, I'm going to want to get out there, but at the same time, I've got to know that I'm 110% to go."
The Packers have raved about the speed of Watson's recovery, and general manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this year that "it's going take a lot of us to hold him back" when he's eligible to come off the PUP list.
But because the Packers typically don't allow players to return to game action until they're 10 months removed from ACL surgery, Watson mIght have to practice for several weeks before he's cleared to play. Once a PUP player returns to practice, there's a 21-day window in which he can practice without having to be added to the active roster.
Watson said he has done everything he would need to do to return during his rehab -- other than actually practice.
"I feel like if it was the NFC Championship Game tomorrow, I would be able to go out there and feel confident for sure," Watson said. "But I mean, at the end of the day, I got to be as smart as I can with it and not let it be a long-term thing. Nine months is long enough, so I want to get the nine months out the way and come back and be 100% Christian Watson and go out there and not have to worry about it any more."