The Green Bay Packers are 2-0 and look like one of the top teams in football, partly thanks to a major trade for Micah Parsons that positioned them for a successful 2025 season. Quarterback Jordan Love is off to one of the best starts of his young career, but the team’s first-round draft pick, Matthew Golden, has yet to make the impact many expected. Despite the slow start, the rookie receiver isn’t letting it get to him.
Why Has Matthew Golden Had a Quiet Start to His Rookie Season?
All things considered, Golden was in a position to be the number one wide receiver for the Packers. With Jayden Reed and Christian Watson out with injuries, Golden’s glowing reviews during the preseason led many to believe he would quickly become Love’s favorite target. So far, however, that hasn’t come to fruition. While Golden hasn’t done anything wrong, the Packers simply haven’t needed him to be a star in either of their dominant victories.
Matthew Golden: It’s two games, there will be a lot of plays to make. https://t.co/pyyAA8EIlp
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 19, 2025
“It’s two games,” Golden said. “We’ve got a long season. There’s going to be a lot of plays to be made. It just goes back to whenever my number is called, I’ve got to be ready. I’m not pressing for anything. I’m just happy to be on a winning team. We’re 2-0, and there’s nothing much more to ask for.”
Statistically, Golden sits surprisingly low on the Packers’ receiving charts. He has been targeted just four times this season, which is less than half the targets Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft have received. Even more telling, Dontayvion Wicks has been targeted eight times and seems primed for a breakout season, a development that has slowed Golden’s progression.
With only two receptions for 16 yards, Golden is averaging just one catch for eight yards per game. While every star receiver goes through slumps, many were surprised to see head coach Matt LaFleur not call No. 0’s number more often through the first two weeks. However, that could change soon. Reed’s recent surgery and an injury scare for Kraft may leave Love with no choice but to incorporate Golden at a much higher rate in the upcoming game against Cleveland.
Looking ahead, the road schedule may force Green Bay’s hand. The team put up exactly 27 points in each of its first two wins at home, but now they face tough matchups on the road in Cleveland and Dallas. Their Week 5 bye is far from ideal, but it could serve as a much-needed reset for Golden, depending on how these next two games unfold. The opportunity for him to make an impact is there; it’s just a matter of execution and how the team decides to work him into the game plan.
