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The Green Bay Packers have plenty of young talent at wide receiver, but a recent trade proposal would give them a big upgrade by swapping Christian Watson for All-Pro wideout Brandon Aiyuk.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay came up with a few trade ideas for Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. The proposals included a few other teams, but the idea involving the Packers was an intriguing one.
Packers receive: WR Brandon Aiyuk
49ers receive: WR Christian Watson, 2025 second-round pick
“Expectations for this upstart club are now elevated, making an Aiyuk trade one method for the Packers to meet these lofty projections,” Kay wrote. “Flipping Watson—who possesses arguably the most upside of any receiver on this roster—and a second-round pick to the 49ers could get a deal done that will take the Packers to the next level.”
The Packers already have a handful of exciting young receivers. However, Aiyuk could immediately be slotted in as the team’s No. 1 wideout, giving Jordan Love a legitimate safety blanket.
Can Christian Watson Stay Healthy in 2024?
Watson looked like a future start after the second half of his rookie season. Unfortunately, injuries are already starting to put his long-term prospects into question.
A knee surgery as a rookie forced Watson to miss the majority of training camp in 2022. That caused him to take a big longer to hit his stride, but he found it in the second half of that season. He finished his rookie year with 611 yards and seven touchdowns on 41 catches.
Expectations were even higher for Watson in 2023. Lingering hamstring issues hurt his availability, however, causing him to play in just nine games.
Those hamstring issues have been a big concern for the Packers this offseason. In fact, the team sent Watson to Madison, Wisconsin to meet with athletic performance specialists about him hamstrings.
“At this level of any sport, I think you gotta know your body,” Watson said about his offseason work in Madison. “Just to be able to learn about it and understand how everything works has helped me a lot in terms of what I’m doing. I’m not just doing it because they’re telling me. I’m doing it because I understand what it’s going to do for me.”
If the Packers want a consistent vertical threat in 2024, then Watson will need to stay healthy.
Latest on Brandon Aiyuk
The 49ers and Aiyuk continue to work on a contract extension this offseason. However, if a deal doesn’t get done, Aiyuk appears to be ready to be traded.
Mike Silver with The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the current offer for Aiyuk is around $26 million per year. While that wouldn’t make him the highest-paid receiver in the league, it would put him near the top.
Meanwhile, Aiyuk continues to stay away from the team and continues to hold out. ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared that Aiyuk could face over $100,000 in fines if he misses the entirety of mandatory minicamp.
The holdout continues to put pressure on the 49ers to get a deal done. However, if the two sides are unable to agree on an extension, Aiyuk could quickly become the hottest trade commodity in the league before training camp.
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