There was zero hesitation from quarterback Jordan Love in August when ESPN's Kevin Clark asked him who the Green Bay Packers' most impressive newcomer was.
"Matthew Golden," he answered.
But through two weeks, Golden has been awfully quiet. All of that should change starting in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns.
Love and Golden barely missed two massive connections in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. On the first opportunity, Green Bay was faced with a fourth-and-three from the Commanders’ 33-yard line on their opening drive. Golden burned fellow rookie Trey Amos to a crisp and was beelining towards the end zone. Love saw Golden, let it rip — and under-threw the rookie speedster. Had Love been on the money, it's an easy touchdown. Instead, it went down as an incompletion.
On a later opportunity, Golden had gotten behind the cornerback and the safety on a deep route. Again, Love went his way. This time — and, by all accounts, it's tough to do this given Golden's speed — Love overthrew the first-round pick. Had they connected, it would've been a cakewalk to the end zone.
Their chemistry is still in development, and it needs to progress sooner rather than later. Christian Watson remains on the PUP list, and now Jayden Reed will miss significant time with a broken collarbone. What was a position with incredible depth will suddenly be searching a bit.
Enter Golden.
Golden saw his snap count total go from 48% in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions to 59% in Week 2. That number should continue to tick up in the weeks to come with Watson and Reed out. Golden's numbers outpaced those of Dontayvion Wicks in both weeks, and Golden trails only Romeo Doubs in snaps played at wide receiver for the Packers.
Doubs' role will remain as is. He'll get a bulk of the snaps, but the Packers will now be shifting more attention to their rookie first-round pick.
Matt Lafleur, Love, and others praised Golden all offseason. While it makes sense to inject confidence in your rookie wide receiver, this chatter sounded different.
Love spoke with conviction when talking about how good he thought Golden would end up being.
Unfortunately for Golden, this isn't a situation resembling Malik Nabers with the New York Giants. They really didn't have anyone else to throw to in 2024, so whichever quarterback was under center let it fly the way of the rookie. Nabers fast-tracked his way towards being a superstar wide receiver.
Fortunately for the Packers, they have a good amount of weapons in the passing game. However, it'd be foolish not to get Golden more involved starting in Week 3, given the absences of Watson and Reed.
If the Packers believe their own offseason hype, it's time to roll out the red carpet.
As Love noted in August, there are already plenty of boxes that Golden checks off.
Golden isn't a raw prospect that needs time to settle in. As Love said himself, Golden is already polished and has been making plays since Day 1 of training camp.
Green Bay's passing game went through some weird ups and downs through most of the 2024 season. Love's injuries played a big part in that. This year, the passing game has been lights out in the first half of both games against the Lions and Commanders. Now it's time to feed Golden more.
Like last year's ascending rookie in Edgerrin Cooper, Golden's snap count totals should only rise. At least for now. Once Watson — and, farther down the road, Reed — returns, it'll get a little crowded again. For now, there's no excuse for Golden not to be out there for even more than the 59% of the snaps he played in Week 2.
Golden got separation on more than just the two misses from Love on Thursday night. He just wasn't the go-to read on those plays. The talent is evident, though.
Next up is a date with Cleveland. While the Browns rely heavily on their defense, Lamar Jackson carved up their secondary to the tune of 225 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday.
Given the extra time to prep since Green Bay played on Thursday night, a lot of chips are falling into place for this to be the first game Golden introduces himself to the league.
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.