It appears the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay has come to an end.
Rookie wide receiver Christian Watson enjoyed a breakout season in his first professional campaign, in large part due to the leadership and talent of his veteran quarterback.
During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Watson expressed his gratitude for playing with Rodgers in Year 1.
“I think the first time I saw him he had come through it was right before the mandatory mini camps he came in and he just walked by me and said (jovially) ‘what’s good North Dakota State?’
“I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to play with him my rookie season and be able to pick his brain. My number one goal going into last year was just to pick the veterans mind as much as possible. You never know when those guys are going to be done or when they’re gonna be gone so I just tried to learn as much as possible from him.
“Whenever I had a question whenever I had something in my mind even if it seemed like a dumb question he was always open to answering that for me and giving me his mindset on that. I think he helped me develop a lot. I think he helped me gain that confidence that I gained later in the year with his confidence in me.”
Watson got off to a slow start in 2022, but broke out when he reeled in three touchdown catches and 107 yards during an overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10.
With Rodgers likely on his way to New York in a trade this offseason, Jordan Love will take over as the Packers’ starting quarterback in 2023.
“Us younger guys had meetings with Jordan Love weekly going into the later weeks of the season and we had quite a bit of younger guy developmental stuff that we did early in the season so we got reps in with him,” Watson added. “I think that relationship and that connection is strong already.”