After a banner season, wide receiver Parker Washington is looking to cash in on the last year of his rookie contract. The Jacksonville Jaguars are making an effort to re-sign him, so there is a chance they could strike a deal soon. Having said that, negotiations may have just become tougher after another receiver got an extension.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Green Bay Packers just signed Christian Watson to a four-year extension worth $110.5 million. The deal raised eyebrows across the league because Watson is a fine player but nowhere near the top echelon of receivers, and his average of $27.5 million per year would put him in the top 10.
And with Watson getting top-market money, Washington's price tag may have just gone up.
Parker Washington just watched the Packers pay Christian Watson
A second-round pick in 2022, Washington is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal, so it made sense that the Packers wanted to lock him up. What's wild is that he's crossed the 600-yard mark three times in his career but has never had more than 700 yards receiving in a season. Yet, he's set to make more money than established veterans such as D.J. Moore, Davante Adams, and George Pickens (franchise tag).
Make no mistake, a player deserves to make whatever a team is willing to pay him, and everyone should be hyped up that Washington cashed in. That said, Green Bay vastly overpaid for his services, and Parker Washington and other receivers who've had similar or better production are surely watching.
The Jaguars may struggle to give Parker Washington the money Christian Watson got
Parker Washington flashed early in his career but didn't have a chance to show what he was capable of doing because he was stuck behind Christian Kirk. When the Jaguars traded Kirk to the Houston Texans, they paved the way for Washington to have a bigger role. He made the most of his opportunity, hauling in 58 receptions for 58 receptions for 847 yards with five touchdowns.
Couple that with the fact that the Jags want Parker Washington to have a bigger role and get deep more often next season, and it's easy to picture him looking to get the best possible deal.
Early in 2026, a market projection had Washington getting a four-year contract worth $64 million. More recently, John Shipley of Sports Illustrated suggested he could get a three-year, $55 million extension. However, the former Penn State Nittany Lion may command even more after Christian Watson's extension. For his part, he's just focused on what he can control amid his contract season.
"Just stay in detail, staying intentional with how I attack each day, that's the mindset," Washington said during an exchange with Alivia Tassely of Action News Jax. It didn't start off with me having all these opportunities, so I had to find a way to continue to get better, knowing that I probably wasn't going to get the opportunity, so just that. I just feel like it's just a cherry on top now. I feel like I just get more opportunities to go out there and be who I want to be, be who I know I can be, and just have fun with it."
Below is Washington's full exchange, with Tassely.
The Jaguars have made it clear that keeping Parker Washington around is one of their biggest priorities in 2026, so it will be interesting to see if they can strike a deal in spite of the Christian Watson extension.
Add us as a preferred source on Google