Dontayvion Wicks of the Green Bay Packers is proving that Christian Watson is expendable this offseason.

On Sunday against the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks filled in for injured wide out Christian Watson. Wicks recorded six receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay’s 17-9 win over Chicago, which sent the Packers to the playoffs with a 9-8 record.

On Green Bay’s first drive, Jordan Love threw a 10-yard touchdown throw to Wicks in the second quarter and a 12-yard touchdown pass to him in the third quarter. He showed promise as a rookie after being drafted in the fifth round out of Virginia.

Wicks began training camp fighting for a roster spot and has proven himself throughout the season. On the field, he never disappointed and always improved week after week. Wicks caught 39 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns this season, averaging 14.9 yards per catch.

He’d get open frequently, and quarterback Jordan Love had 58 targets on him this season. Wicks gained one running yard on one carry this season as well. He has earned the right to be the third wide receiver in the future. During his first season, he received good accolades and will have more room to grow in the future.

Christian Watson has become expendable as a result of Dontayvion Wicks’ strong rookie season. For the Green Bay Packers this offseason

With Wicks outperforming expectations this season, the Packers will have to make roster selections for next season. They will not be able to pay all of the young wide receivers when it comes time to extend their contracts. Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks have proven this season that they are here to stay, as has Romeo Doubs.

All of them were available for the majority of the games this season, save for Christian Watson. He only appeared in nine games this season, missing seven due to a hamstring injury. Watson is gifted, yet he is the most prone to injury.

He appears to be out of sync with the game after missing multiple weeks and not playing since December 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs. It also appears that the offense isn’t missing him. It’s not like quarterback Jordan Love is in trouble without him. He appears to be thriving in his absence.

This offseason, Watson could be of interest to a team in need of a wide receiver. He grabbed 28 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns, with an average of 15.1 yards per catch. This season, quarterback Jordan Love targeted Christian Watson 53 times.

Love concluded the season with 11 interceptions, five of which came when he was targeting Watson and six when he was targeting everyone else. Dontayvion Wicks has also had extremely nice connection with Jordan Love this season, and he will only improve with his routing running and everything else in his skill set.