The Green Bay Packers made a couple big wagers in the form of pricey contracts for wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, but letting Romeo Doubs depart in free agency and trading Dontayvion Wicks was more of a bet on second-year pass-catcher Matthew Golden than on anyone else.
Of course, only time and regular-season action will tell the tale of how successful that calculation was, and the Packers can’t start tabulating those results until they travel to Minneapolis for a Week 1 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 13.
However, good things are developing around Golden during training camp, including on Tuesday when Bill Huber of ON SI dubbed the 23-year-old wideout the practice player of the day.
Quarterback Jordan Love spoke about Golden’s performance during a media session following practice on August 18.
“We had a connection going today. Made a lot of plays. I think for him, he’s finding ways to get open, which as a quarterback, it makes life easy,” Love said, per X video shared by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “When a guy’s getting open, creating separation where I know exactly where to put it now, and it’s not as sticky in the coverage. So, he’s doing a great job.”
Matthew Golden Maturing in Real Time During Packers’ Training Camp
GettyGreen Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Huber noted that Golden appears to have leaped forward both mentally and physically, specifically mentioning an improved comprehension of route concepts.
That, along with the developing connection between Golden and Love, led the second-year receiver to snag seven catches during 11-on-11 drills Tuesday.
“I feel like every day we go out there and practice, man, we gain a lot of confidence with each other,” Golden said, per Huber. “Just understanding where I’m going to be at and where he’s going to place the ball. So, it’s a lot of communication going on right now. … Just having a year in the system, obviously, you have nothing else to do but to improve.”
Packers Remain Confident in Matthew Golden Following Rookie Year Struggles
GettyGreen Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Golden was the No. 23 overall pick of the Packers in the 2025 NFL draft out of Texas and came into the league with considerable hype.
He failed to live up to it right away, finishing the year with just 29 catches for 361 yards. Golden didn’t find the end zone during the regular season, though he did score his first career touchdown in the Packers’ Wildcard Round playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.
Green Bay’s decision to pare down the wide receiver room was not a surprise, and Doubs as a casualty in free agency was the most foreseeable outcome given the money he was able to command on the open market and the sometimes tumultuous relationship he had with the Packers’ coaching staff and front office.
Still, the franchise took a big swing to draft Golden last year and another one to bet big on him in 2026 even despite his struggles during his rookie campaign. And to this point in the preseason, it appears that strategy is paying off handsomely.
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