Packers’ emergency special teams plan for breakout WR Matthew Golden could easily backfire as receiver depth thins out
Skyy Moore’s ankle injury against the Bears pushed the second-year wide receiver into punt return duty, and Green Bay must decide its plan before facing Dallas.
The Green Bay Packers could be heading toward a risky situation with wide receiver Matthew Golden. Punt returner Skyy Moore suffered an ankle injury against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, and Golden had to step into the role during the game.
He was effective. Golden had two punt returns and averaged 13.5 yards per return, including a 17-yard return. That was a different experience from his rookie season, when he had six punt returns and averaged only 4.7 yards per return.
Last year, though, Golden was not this important to the offense. Green Bay now has very little margin for error at wide receiver, and that changes the calculation.
Thin receiver room
The Packers lost Romeo Doubs in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles. Then Jayden Reed suffered a season-ending neck injury.
Green Bay essentially has two high-level wide receivers left in Christian Watson and Golden. Putting one of them on punt returns, a play that exposes players to big collisions in open space, brings a lot of risk for the offense.
Special teams coordinator Cam Achord liked how Golden handled the moment against the Bears. He said Golden filled the void as soon as Moore went down.
“You could tell he was ready to go, made good decisions, confident fielding the ball in the air or off the bounce,” Achord said.
The new coordinator was also asked whether Golden’s importance to the offense could make the coaching staff hesitant to use him as a returner. Achord said “it will depend on what’s the best situation for the team.”
That answer leaves the door open. You could argue Golden is the best punt returner on the 53-man roster outside of Moore. Even so, the decision is still hard to defend.
Breakout season in Year 2
Golden is having a true breakout campaign in his second year with the Packers. Through five games, he has 24 receptions for 397 yards and two touchdowns.
That production leads the 2025 draft class in receiving yards. Golden is ahead of wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan (who’s had his bye week), Luther Burden, Jaylin Noel, and Tre Harris, as well as tight end Tyler Warren.
Green Bay depends on Golden to be the best version of its offense. Losing him to an injury on a punt return would hurt far more than any field position the team gains from his returns.
Other options exist
The Packers aren’t short on alternatives. Bo Melton and J. Michael Sturdivant have been returning kickoffs, and either one could handle punts if Moore can’t go. Former third-round pick Savion Williams hasn’t returned punts in the NFL, but he did return 28 kickoffs as a rookie and has already been designated to return from injured reserve, with a realistic chance of being activated this week.
The punt return unit might not be as effective without Golden. Still, the balance tilts toward keeping him away from that risk because of his offensive production.
Using Golden against the Bears made sense as an emergency solution in the middle of a game. With a full week of preparation, Green Bay has time to build a better plan. If Moore isn’t ready to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Packers should probably turn to Williams, Melton, or Sturdivant and keep their top young receiver focused on offense.
