GREEN BAY – As an outsider looking in, Tucker Kraft doesn't know how you defend Christian Watson.
The Packers' leading receiver just has too much size, too much speed and too much experience after being immersed in Head Coach Matt LaFleur's offense for the past 4½ years.
"Christian's speed," said Kraft, staring ahead in near disbelief, "I couldn't imagine trying to run with him."
Sunday's 31-7 drubbing of the Chicago Bears was yet another example of the ubiquitous danger that lurks once the ball is snapped and Watson penetrates the opponent's side of the field.
Coverage bust? It becomes a 42-yard touchdown down the sideline on the opening possession. Give Watson an inch inside on the first play of the second half? It turns into a 31-yard catch down the seam.
Later that same drive, after J. Michael Sturdivant had a 43-yard TD called back for offensive pass interference, Watson ran a deep post to the end zone on third-and-22 and Jordan Love laid a 53-yard pass directly into his receiver's arms for a TD that gave Green Bay a two-score lead it wouldn't look back from.
After the game, LaFleur labeled the decision to throw it deep as a "rage call" after Sturdivant's touchdown was brought back, but Watson loved it. He was thrilled to see the Packers put the ball in his and Love's hands.
"We needed a play. We needed a chunk play," Watson said. "That's one of the plays that we rep in that situation. Obviously, we have a few, but in that situation, a lot of them are going to be a shot or it's going to be a screen. Our mentality going into the game, I would've bet on the shot over the screen."
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wideout finished with six catches for 143 yards and two scores to extend his streak of catching at least one TD pass in each of his last four games at Lambeau Field.
Watson has 26 receptions for 474 yards (18.2 avg.) and six TDs so far this season, making him the third player in team history to have 25-plus catches, six-plus TD receptions and an average of 18.0-plus yards per catch in the first five games.
The last NFL player to hit those marks through five games? Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice in 1986.
"Christian's really been one of them top guys in the league for a long time," Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "Even when I played against him, he was the guy we was looking at. We was all worried about '9'. The fact that he's able to put it all together now, I couldn't be happier for him, man."
It's hard to believe it's been nearly one year since Watson made his highly anticipated return from his torn anterior cruciate ligament against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 26, 2025.
He had four catches for 85 yards in a 35-25 Packers victory and has kept his foot firmly on the gas pedal ever since. In 16 games (including playoffs) since returning, Watson has 64 receptions for 1,121 yards (17.5 avg.) and 13 touchdowns.
"He's been huge for our offense," offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. "He's just a guy that we've been able to rely on to come through in those big moments. Obviously down in the red zone he's doing a nice job scoring touchdowns. So, he's come through big so far."
The Packers identified Watson as a vital piece of their future when they signed the 27-year-old receiver to an extension in June. The plan was for Watson, Jayden Reed and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden to be the face of the perimeter passing game.
Unfortunately, Green Bay lost Reed for the season to a neck injury he sustained against the New York Jets in Week 2, which placed an even heavier burden on Watson and Golden.
The two wideouts have responded in a big way. Each rank in the top 10 in NFL receiving yards while Watson (4.77) and Golden (4.56) sit 1-2 in highest yards per route run among wideouts, according to Pro Football Focus.
Their combined 871 receiving yards through five games represent the second-most by a Packers receiving tandem since James Lofton and John Jefferson posted 873 yards in 1983.
"Me and Christian, we can get really anywhere, underneath, over the top. It's a lot of things we can do," said Golden, who was 24 catches for 397 yards and two TDs this season.
"I appreciate him because he push me each and every day, and I'm just grateful to be in a room with a guy like that. I know it's a lot more plays for us to go out there and make."
That combination of speed and pass-catching ability is what the Packers hope will lead them to a deep run in 2026. It's also why they moved up in the second round to draft Watson 34th overall back in 2022.
Green Bay thought so much of the North Dakota State standout that it parlayed the second-round pick it received from Las Vegas for All-Pro receiver Davante Adams with its own to get a deal done with the rival Minnesota Vikings.
Shortly after the draft, Adams wrote on a short message on a Packers Instagram post featuring Watson: "Kid gon be the truth."
Watson has indeed become the explosive weapon the Packers believed he could be, but the emerging star believes there's still more out there for him. He's off to a great start to 2026 but another challenge awaits Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
"I've got to keep on climbing," Watson said. "There's a lot of individual goals I want to achieve, but I've got to keep on doing what I'm doing if we want to have success as a team. Obviously, they're relying on me a lot, so I've got to keep on doing what I'm doing to give the team the best chance to continue winning."
