RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. It’s safe to say that no one on the Green Bay Packers offense had the season they would’ve liked last year.
Quarterback Jordan Love missed a few games due to injury, as did running back Josh Jacobs, who came up 31 yards shy of 1,000, and no one in the Packers’ wide receiver corps cracked 725 yards.
So heading into 2026, one would assume Green Bay has set some high expectations for itself. And after hearing Monday’s interview with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales, there’s one receiver in particular who Love called out by name as someone he has high expectations for.
“We got Christian (Watson), [Jayden Reed], Tucker (Kraft) — they’ve been here, been in this offense, and now we’re just building on all the little things we’ve worked on in the past couple of years," Love said . "[Matthew Golden] now locked in there over at X, so I’m expecting big things. He’s had a great training camp so far, and it’s all about just building from the stuff from the years before. I love the group, I love the guys we’ve got.”
Golden, the 23rd overall pick in last year’s draft, showed flashes as a rookie. He finished with 29 catches on 44 targets for 361 yards, though he didn’t find the end zone once.
Now with a clearly defined role — he bounced around the field last year as the Packers tried to find touches for him, Romeo Doubs, Watson, Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, and Savion Williams — Golden should become a bigger part of offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich’s scheme.
As a true X receiver (those players line up on the line of scrimmage opposite the tight end and rarely go in motion, Golden will likely see action as the Packers’ primary outside pass-catcher and deep threat — a role he excelled at in college.
Golden averaged 15.4 yards per reception in 2022 at Houston and 17 yards per reception in his final season at Texas in 2024.
With Golden out wide, that likely means Watson will serve as Green Bay’s Z receiver (they typically line up off the line of scrimmage on the same side as the tight end and use their speed to find space) and Reed will presumably play the Y (they line up in the slot and are used in quick-pass situations like screens or to help run block).
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