2022 SEASON: Played in 14 games with 11 starts and posted 41 receptions for 611 yards (14.9 avg.) and a team-high seven TDs…Was tied for No. 1 in the NFL among rookies in TD catches and ranked No. 5 among rookies in receiving yards…Had two TD receptions of 50-plus yards (63, 58), the first Green Bay rookie to post multiple TD receptions of 50-plus yards since Howton (six) in 1952…Was tied for No. 1 among NFL rookies with three 100-yard receiving games on the season, the second most by a Green Bay rookie in team history (Howton, five in 1952)…Also had seven carries for 80 yards (11.4 avg.) and two TDs and returned two kickoffs for 35 yards (17.5 avg.)...Became only the third player in franchise history to post seven-plus receiving TDs and multiple rushing TDs in a season, joining McNally (1931) and Hutson (1941)…Became just the second NFL rookie WR to accomplish that feat (Claypool, 2020)…Became just the fourth WR since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post 40-plus catches, 600-plus receiving yards, seven-plus receiving TDs and multiple rushing TDs in a season, joining Claypool (2020), Tyreek Hill (2020) and Jerry Rice (1994)…Was inactive (hamstring) for three contests (Weeks 3, 6-7)…At Minnesota (Sept. 11): Started and played 40 snaps in his NFL debut, the first rookie WR to start for the Packers in Week 1 since James Jones in 2007. Posted two receptions for 34 yards (17.0 avg.) and a 7-yard run…Vs. New England (Oct. 2): Posted his first NFL touchdown, scoring on a 15-yard run early in the second quarter…Vs. Dallas (Nov. 13): Started and played 54 of 64 snaps, leading the team with 107 receiving yards and a career-best three TDs on four catches (26.8 avg.). Became the first Green Bay rookie to post 100-plus receiving yards and three receiving TDs in a game since WR James Lofton on Sept. 10, 1978. Tied the single-game team rookie record for receiving TDs as he matched Lofton, Howton (Nov. 27, 1952) and McGee (Oct. 30, 1954). Became the first Packer with two TD receptions of 35-plus yards in a game (58, 39) since WR Jordy Nelson (73, 40) vs. Chicago on Oct. 9, 2014. His third TD grab, a 7-yarder with 2:29 remaining in regulation, tied the game at 28. Became the first rookie to catch three TD passes against the Cowboys since Moss on Nov. 26, 1998…Vs. Tennessee (Nov. 17): Started and played 49 snaps, finishing with four receptions for 48 yards (12.0 avg.) and two TDs as he became the first Green Bay rookie to register multiple TD catches in back-to-back-games since McGee in 1954 (Oct. 30-Nov. 7). His five TD grabs in his last two games matched McGee's mark for the most by a Green Bay rookie over a two-game span and were tied for the most by an NFL rookie over a two-game span since 2000 with Falcons WR Calvin Ridley (2018) and Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. (2014)…At Philadelphia (Nov. 27): Started and played 45 of 49 snaps, leading the team with a career-high 110 receiving yards and a TD on four receptions (27.5 avg.). With nine minutes remaining in the game, caught a short pass over the middle from QB Jordan Love and took it 63 yards for a TD, his longest reception as a pro and the longest by a Green Bay rookie since Jones' 79-yard TD catch at Denver on Oct. 29, 2007…At Chicago (Dec. 4): Started and played 61 of 66 snaps, posting three receptions for 48 yards (16.0 avg.) and a TD while adding a 46-yard rushing TD with 1:51 remaining that clinched the win. Became only the second rookie WR in NFL history to post 45-plus rushing yards and a rushing TD and 45-plus receiving yards and a receiving TD in a game (Joey Galloway on Nov. 12, 1995). His two TDs on the day gave him eight from scrimmage over his last four games, tied for the most over a four-game span by a rookie WR in NFL history (Moss, 1998). Became the first rookie in team history with seven TD catches over a four-game span and the first NFL rookie to do so since Beckham in 2014. Brought his streak of consecutive games with a TD catch to four, the second-longest streak by a rookie in team history behind Howton (five in 1952)…At Miami (Dec. 25): Started and played 25 snaps, pacing the team with a career-high six receptions for 49 yards (8.2 avg.). Sustained a hip injury late in the first half that sidelined him for the remainder of the game…Vs. Detroit (Jan. 8): Started and played 52 of 60 snaps, leading the team with 104 receiving yards on five receptions (20.8 avg.). Added 12 yards on two carries as he finished the night with a career-high 116 yards from scrimmage…2022 Draft: Selected by Green Bay in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, a pick obtained from the Minnesota Vikings for the Packers' two second-round selections in 2022 (Nos. 53 and 59 overall). Became the first NDSU player to be drafted by the Packers since RB Tim Mjos (eighth round) in 1970.
COLLEGE: Played in 52 games with 31 starts for the Bison, finishing his career with 105 receptions for 2,140 yards (20.4 avg.) and 14 TDs with 392 rushing yards and two TDs on 49 carries (8.0 avg.)…Returned 26 kickoffs for 686 yards (26.4 avg.) and two TDs…Finished his career at NDSU ranked No. 2 in school history (min. 50 rec.) in yards per reception (20.4 avg.) and yards per kickoff return (26.4 avg.), No. 8 in receiving yards (2,140) and No. 10 in receptions (105)…Played for NDSU teams that won the FCS national championship in 2018, 2019 and 2021, with the Bison posting a 52-4 record during his four seasons…Earned his degree in university studies…Senior season (2021): Appeared in 12 games with 10 starts, earning second-team All-America honors from The Associated Press at WR after leading the team with a career-high 43 catches for a career-best 801 yards (18.6 avg.) and seven TDs…Earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition as both a WR and an all-purpose player…Ranked No. 2 in the conference in yards per catch…Also carried the ball 15 times for 114 yards (7.6 avg.) and a TD…Returned 10 kickoffs for 227 yards (22.7 avg.), finishing the season with 1,142 all-purpose yards…Was sidelined for three playoff games before returning for the FCS title game…Hauled in three passes for 79 yards (26.3 avg.), including a 67-yard TD grab, and posted a season-long 48-yard kickoff return at Towson (Sept. 18)…Posted a career-high 163 receiving yards on five catches (32.6 avg.) vs. Northern Iowa (Oct. 9), highlighted by a career-long 85-yard TD reception…Hauled in four passes for 91 yards (22.8 avg.) at Youngstown State (Nov. 13), including a 71-yard TD grab…Racked up a season-high 52 rushing yards on three carries (17.3 avg.) vs. South Dakota (Nov. 20), including a season-long 43-yard TD…Junior season (2020/21): Played in 10 games with eight starts, earning first-team All-America recognition as a kickoff returner from AP, Athlon and Phil Steele's College Football…Averaged 33.8 yards on 10 kickoff returns and was the only FCS player to register two kickoff return TDs (100, 94 yards) on the season as he tied the NDSU single-season and career records…Led the team with 19 receptions for 442 yards (23.2 avg.) and a TD…Added 116 rushing yards on 21 carries (5.5 avg.) to finish with a team-high 896 all-purpose yards…Posted a season-high 93 yards on four receptions (23.3 avg.) vs. Illinois State (March 13)…Accounted for 229 all-purpose yards on his way to earning MVFC Offensive Player of the Week honors at Northern Iowa (April 10), posting two receptions for 86 yards (43.0 avg.) and a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD…Scored on a 94-yard kickoff return in an NCAA quarterfinal game at Sam Houston (May 2)…Sophomore season (2019): Played in all 16 games with 11 starts, leading the team with 34 receptions for 732 yards (21.5 avg.) and six TDs on his way to earning second-team All-MVFC honors…Ranked No. 2 in the conference in yards per reception and No. 3 in receiving yards…Carried the ball 13 times for 162 yards (12.5 avg.) and a TD and returned four kickoffs for 70 yards (17.5 avg.)…Posted a 69-yard TD reception at Youngstown State (Nov. 2)…Registered a season-high 121 receiving yards on four grabs (30.3 avg.) vs. Western Illinois (Nov. 9), including a 51-yard TD catch…Recorded a career-high seven receptions for 107 yards (15.3 avg.) in an NCAA quarterfinal win vs. Illinois State (Dec. 14)…Scored TDs on back-to-back offensive plays in the NCAA semifinal victory vs. Montana State (Dec. 21) with a 75-yard reception and a career-long 70-yard run bookending a Montana State three-and-out…Redshirt freshman season (2018): Appeared in 14 games with two starts, catching nine passes for 165 yards (18.3 avg.) and returning two kickoffs for 51 yards (25.5 avg.)…Posted a season-long 48-yard reception vs. Southern Illinois (Nov. 17).
PERSONAL: Given name Christian Justus Watson…Born in Phoenix, Ariz. …His father, Tim, was drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft and went on to play defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs (1993-95), N.Y. Giants (1995) and Philadelphia Eagles (1997)…His older brother, Tre, played linebacker at the University of Illinois (2015-17) and the University of Maryland (2018)…High school: Averaged 17.1 yards per catch with eight receiving TDs as a senior at H.B. Plant High School (Tampa, Fla.), helping his team to a 13-1 record and a state runner-up finish in 2016…Posted 587 all-purpose yards as a senior…Was a two-year letterman, playing WR and safety…Also competed in track and field, participating in the long jump and triple jump as well as the 200-meter and 4x100-meter events…Community involvement: Visited schools and volunteered at camps for kids and with food drives while in college.
