Former Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins is entering his ninth year in the NFL, and he believes he still has something to prove.
Signing a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers in April, Watkins will play for his third team in the last three years after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. After failing to reach over 500 receiving yards in the past two seasons, he feels pressure to return to being a consistent playmaker.
“I told the coach my back is against the wall,” Watkins said. “You know, my career hasn’t been what I projected to be, and it’s a great opportunity for me to come here, play hard, catch a ton of balls, compete at the highest level and win games.”
Watkins’ statement came after his newest quarterback Aaron Rodgers acknowledged the importance of having players on a roster that feel like they have something to prove.
“I facetimed him when he signed his contract,” Rodgers said. “I knew that he was somebody that we had targeted and we were interested in, and I was 100 percent on board with that. I think it’s important you get guys that have a lot to play for, and I think Sammy [Watkins] has the opportunity to continue and travel down a new path in his career that we can help him here.”
Watkins was the first receiver taken off of the board and the No. 4 overall selection in the 2014 draft. In his first two years in the league, he had 125 combined receptions for 2,029 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Since then, his most receiving yards in a season was 673 in 2019.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Watkins with high expectations, as he had one of the most dominant careers in Clemson history. In his three years as a Tiger, Watkins had 3,391 career receiving yards, a program record that still holds to this day. Now with the Packers, Watkins will have an opportunity to produce at that same high level alongside former Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers.
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