When the Green Bay Packers drafted Matthew Golden in the first round last year, it ended a 23-year dry spell for a team that seemed almost religiously opposed to heavily investing in the position. That imposed lofty expectations on Golden. On the inside, the Packers operated as they always do, refusing to fully unleash another rookie wideout.
Entering Year 2, Golden is in store for a massive campaign.
There was a logjam at wide receiver a year ago, which wasn’t a bad thing for the Packers. Still, it didn’t help Golden as he tried to climb the ladder. Once Christian Watson entered the frame near the halfway mark and Jayden Reed returned later in the year after multiple injuries knocked him out in Week 2, it was difficult for Golden to grasp any consistent role.
When his number was called upon, Golden delivered. The problem was that the opportunities were few and far between.
After Romeo Doubs signed with the New England Patriots and the Packers traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles, opportunities won’t be a problem for Golden in Year 2.
In his rookie season, Golden had just 44 targets in 14 games. He turned that into 29 receptions for an uninspiring 361 receiving yards. His only touchdown on the season came in the playoffs against the Chicago Bears.
A year ago, Golden got caught in the blender with plenty of veteran options ahead of him. In 2026, he’ll likely be starting alongside Watson, garnering starter-level snaps.
In the first six games of 2025, Golden was second in snaps for Green Bay wide receivers five times. There was a giant asterisk by those totals, though.
Watson didn’t play in any of those contests while rehabbing a torn ACL from the year prior. Reed exited in Week 2 after just five snaps played in Week 2 and didn’t return until Week 14. Once Watson returned and Reed later on, Golden became an afterthought.
Plenty of Packers fans were left dumbfounded that Green Bay essentially ignored their first-round pick and didn’t make him a larger part of the game plan as the season carried along. Even for a franchise that has done a lot of hand-holding with rookie wide receivers, it was bizarre to see Golden’s targets decrease as the year went along.
In his first seven games played, Golden had 26 targets. In his final seven games, that number dropped to 18.
After the season concluded in January, general manager Brian Gutekunst was asked about the lack of usage for Golden as a rookie. Gutekunst pivoted towards looking ahead to this season.
With all the opportunities we gave him, I thought he did an excellent job. I would have loved to have seen him get more opportunities through the year. It didn’t work out that way. But when he did, he performed, and he performed at a high level. I’m really excited to see where he goes in Year 2. I think his ceiling is very, very high. We’re very, very excited about what he’s going to do for our football team moving forward.
Gutekunst said that before Doubs and Wicks departed. Now the Packers will have no choice but to give Golden a larger slice of the pie. Not that they should be reluctant to do so anyway. When last we saw him, he scored his lone touchdown of the season on the grand stage of the playoffs.
Golden caught a swing pass from Jordan Love and spun out of two would-be tacklers before hurdling another and juking a final before waltzing into the end zone. There was rejoicing among Packers fans because it extended Green Bay’s lead at the time, and because Golden had finally been given the chance to prove his worth.
As far as expectations go for 2026, it’s not a stretch to suggest that Golden’s numbers should double across the board.
His 44 targets should easily get to 88, and concurrently so his 29 receptions from 2025 reach 68, and his 361 receiving yards should equate to over 700.
Heck, look at Doubs’ second year in 2023 after being a fourth-round pick in 2022. He had 96 targets, 59 receptions, 674 yards, and eight touchdowns. He posted those numbers working as a 1A option alongside Reed due to Watson’s injuries.
Golden will have a similar role this year, working slightly behind Watson. Expecting his numbers to double from a year ago isn’t a stretch. Expecting even more isn’t a crazy idea either.
The runway is clear, and Matthew Golden will be a starter in Year 2. We’ve seen Packers wide receivers in years past make that leap from rookie season to sophomore campaign. Golden should be the latest.
