Getty Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Sammy Watkins makes a catch during a September 2021 game.
Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Sammy Watkins has signed a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers, as first reported by Jordan Schultz on April 14, giving Aaron Rodgers a veteran target after Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported earlier in the day that Watkins was visiting Green Bay, a logical landing spot for the veteran wideout considering the Packers’ dearth of reliable receiving talent.
Both sides were able to come to an agreement on a one-year contract “worth up to $4 million,” per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who called the move a “low-risk addition” for the Packers.
Indeed, Watkins has been a solid wide receiver since he entered the NFL, with a career average of 51.1 yards per game, but that’s only when he can stay healthy. He’s only played a full season once in his career – as a rookie in 2014 – and only made 18 starts in the last two seasons.
His time in Baltimore reflects the overall trajectory of his career, with Watkins averaging 58.4 yards per game in the Ravens’ first five games of the 2021 season before a hamstring injury sidelined him for three games. He only averaged 12.8 yards per game in his final nine games in Baltimore, with rookie Rashod Bateman outsnapping Watkins by the end of the year.