The Green Bay Packers’ most valuable player outside quarterback Jordan Love could be the same receiver who failed to score a regular-season touchdown as a rookie.
NFL.com senior writer Kevin Patra named Matthew Golden as Green Bay’s non-quarterback MVP candidate for 2026, placing a massive expectation on the former first-round pick before training camp.
Patra acknowledged that Golden disappeared from the offense at times during his debut season.
The receiver finished three games without a catch and was held below 10 yards in three others.
Injuries also interrupted his development.
But Patra believes better health and a larger role alongside Jayden Reed and Christian Watson can unlock the effective speed that made Golden the No. 23 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
“The leap is near,” Patra wrote.
The prediction asks Golden to move quickly from promising piece to principal figure.
Green Bay selected him to become a difference-maker, and his final game offered the first extended look at what that could mean.
Golden’s Rookie Finish Helps the Cause
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 10: Matthew Golden #0 of the Green Bay Packers scores a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Golden ended the regular season with 29 receptions for 361 yards and no touchdowns across 14 games.
He added 49 yards on 10 rushing attempts, but his receiving production fell short of the immediate breakout many expected from Green Bay’s first first-round receiver since 2002.
His season also became increasingly uneven after a productive opening stretch.
Golden recorded 23 catches for 262 yards through his first eight games.
He then suffered a shoulder injury during a loss to the Carolina Panthers. The injury kept him out of the Packers’ Monday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
He returned the following week against the New York Giants and caught one pass for 24 yards, but a wrist injury soon created another interruption.
Golden missed the next two games before returning against the Chicago Bears in Week 14.
His most encouraging performance arrived in the postseason.
Golden caught four of five targets for 84 yards in the Packers’ 31-27 wild-card loss to the Chicago Bears.
He produced a 36-yard reception in the first half, then turned a short pass from Love into a 23-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
It was Golden’s first NFL touchdown and his highest yardage total since an 86-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in October.
That playoff showing didn’t quell a quiet regular season, but it gave Patra evidence for his projection.
Golden showed the vertical speed and open-field ability to create after the catch that Green Bay envisioned when it selected him in the first round.
Golden ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, the fastest time among receivers that year. His rookie season rarely allowed that trait to become a consistent part of the offense.
Packers Still Need a Clear No. 1 Receiver
Patra’s choice also reflects the uncertainty surrounding Green Bay’s receiving group.
Reed was limited to 19 catches for 207 yards in 2025. Watson finished with 35 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns.
So, no receiver enters training camp settling the question of who should lead the passing game.
Golden has the draft investment and physical tools to take that role.
Patra compared his slow beginning to Davante Adams, whose early career included lower-body injuries and modest production.
Adams recorded 38 catches for 446 yards as a rookie and 50 catches for 483 yards in his second season. He jumped to 997 yards and 12 touchdowns in Year 3.
Golden doesn’t need to follow the same timeline.
Green Bay’s offense, however, could use a faster rise as it attempts to rebound from five consecutive losses to end last season.
The MVP label is ambitious for a player with 29 career regular-season catches.
Still, it identifies the opportunity waiting for Golden.
If the playoff performance becomes his starting point rather than an isolated flash, the Packers may finally have the featured receiver they have spent years trying to develop.
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