4 weeks ago
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (0) makes a 35-yard reception while being covered by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) during the second quarter of their game Sunday, October 12, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images I submit that Matthew Golden’s rookie year was not so much bad as it was odd.
His statistical output was, to be blunt, frustrating. The only 0 I wanted to see from Golden last year was on his uniform, not in the “touchdowns” column of his page on Pro Football Reference. Yes, he got into the end zone in the playoffs, but that was mostly a tease, a glimpse of what could have been.
So why wasn’t it better? That’s the odd part. You can find plenty of stuff from early in the season where Golden was open but not getting the ball, or Jordan Love just missed him, or he was just a step or two off on a rep. You can find plenty of other stuff where he appeared to just…not quite know what he was doing.
And then there’s the cryptic answers from the coaching staff. Late in the year, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich gave an answer that was equal parts cryptic, critical, and, oddly, encouraging about Golden’s future when asked why the first round pick hadn’t had a bigger role in the offense. In short, he said the Packers liked what he was doing, but he had a ways to go, especially in a crowded wide receiver room that featured experienced players rotating in and out of the lineup due to injury.
But now, Dontayvion Wicks is gone, and so is Romeo Doubs. Golden is inarguably one of the Packers’ top three receivers now. If he can’t find some measure of success in 2026, well, that would be pretty odd.
Packers clear the way for Matthew Golden to emerge in Year 2 | ESPN
Any obstacle to Golden’s success has now been removed.
Packers draft preview: Dontayvion Wicks trade opens up possibilities at WR | Packers Wire
To say nothing of what it will do for do for Golden, the Wicks trade likely means the Packers are in the market for another wide receiver.
Edgerrin Cooper excited for new chapter in Packers’ defense | Packers.com
Edgerrin Cooper is in a new defensive scheme for the first time in his NFL career. Will it unleash him?
Packers Draft Preview: Who Will Be Sean Rhyan’s Insurance Policy at Center? | Sports Illustrated
The Packers have had to finish out two straight playoff games with backup centers. Figuring out depth there is a priority this spring.
Grading every NFL trade of the 2026 offseason so far | NFL.com
I don’t think anybody’s necessarily right or wrong here, but it’s interesting to see the differing grades on the Packers and Eagles ends of this trade.
By pure coincidence, yesterday I told you about a raffle that could win you a Picasso. Today, I bring you reporting on an even better kind of raffle.
