Packers pinpoint the issue that capped Matthew Golden’s rookie impact and anticipate a jump in Year 2
Receiver had a quiet rookie season.
When the Green Bay Packers finally took a wide receiver in the first round of the draft after 23 years, there was a fair expectation over an immediate impact. Well, that did not happen. Matthew Golden showed flashes, especially in the playoffs, but the consistency and the volume were never there.
That’s in part the team’s fault, though. General manager Brian Gutekunst talked about Golden at the NFL Combine, and he admitted the rookie didn’t have nearly as many opportunities as he could have.
“I thought Matthew did a great job with all the opportunities we gave him,” Gutekunst said. “He did an excellent job. I would have loved to see him get more opportunities during the year, but when he did, he performed at a high level.”
Lack of volume
Matthew Golden had only 40 targets in 2025, the 12th rookie receiver — Emeka Egbuka led the rookies with 126. Golden had fewer targets than Isaiah Bond, who didn’t sign with the Cleveland Browns until the middle of training camp.
Of the 11 rookie receivers who had more targets than Golden, only four had more yards per route run as well — Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, Jayden Higgins, and Luther Burden III.
Without Romeo Doubs, who’s set to hit free agency in March and is expected to depart from Green Bay, Golden would naturally receive more chances.
“I’m really excited to see where he goes in Year 2,” Gutekunst added. “He was a third-year player coming out of college — one year at Texas, two years in Houston — so I think his ceiling is very, very high. We’re very excited about what he’s going to do for us moving forward.”
The Packers usually limit rookies to progressively develop them — Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams also had quiet first seasons in the NFL. It doesn’t mean Golden will become one of these top guys, but it gives an interesting perspective about what may come over the next few years.
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