Green Bay Packers quarterback, Jordan Love, throwing a pass against the Washington Commanders on September 11, 2025.
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Green Bay Packers quarterback, Jordan Love, throwing a pass against the Washington Commanders on September 11, 2025.
The Green Bay Packers have immediately established themselves as one of the teams to beat in the NFC, after two strong, consecutive wins against competitive conference rivals in the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders to start the season.
The defense looks to have taken the next step, and the offense is starting to show signs that it could turn into one of the league’s best. But one of the few underwhelming facets for the organization has been the start from their first round rookie wideout, Matthew Golden.
Golden has not had nearly as many opportunities as predicted prior to the season, where much of the media and fan hype had him poised to become quarterback, Jordan Love‘s first bona fide #1 receiver.
Matthew Golden Not Off To A Fast Start With The Packers
Alas, this has not come to fruition. Golden has 2 receptions for 16 yards in the first two games, ranking eighth on the team behind the likes of third stringers in receiver, Malik Heath, and running back, Chris Brooks.
However, the unfortunate collarbone injury suffered by Jayden Reed last week – one that required surgery that occurred on Tuesday – meant that the former second round pick will be out for quite some time. Indeed, Reed also decided to have foot surgery at the same time as his clavicle procedure to fix the problem that he had initially been playing through in weeks one and two.
With Reed out, Jordan Love spoke to the media about how this could impact the rest of the receiving room, and noted that – on the bright side – it would mean more chances for other pass-catchers to get involved, especially Golden.
Jordan Love went through his two missed deep balls to Matthew Golden and took blame for both misses.
Also added that because of Jayden Reed’s injury…
“There’s definitely gonna be opps for other guys, but definitely M.G.” pic.twitter.com/di376lpsoG
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 17, 2025
Love discussed his two razor thin misses that denied Golden the opportunity to score, including one 92 yard bomb that was just out of the reach of the former Texas man, before noting that “There’s definitely gonna be opps for other guys, but definitely M.G. [Matthew Golden]”
Jordan Love Claims There Will ‘Definitely’ Be More Opportunities For Golden
With Reed gone, Golden, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks will likely be the main three going foward, with fellow rookie, Savion Williams, and veteran, Malik Heath, also getting some time.
The Packers’ modus operandi under Love and head coach, Matt LaFleur, has very much been a spread-it-around approach to the passing game; almost diametrically opposite to the highly Davante Adams-centric approach to the passing offense during the LaFleur/Aaron Rodgers years.
So it is unlikely, unless Golden can show himself to truly be leaps and bounds ahead of the next best pass-catcher on the roster, which more and more is looking like tight end, Tucker Kraft, who currently leads the team with 140 receiving yards, he is never going to get anything approaching the lions share of the targets.
But heading into Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, and now having had another game under his belt with Love, the hope will certainly be that Golden and Green Bay’s franchise QB can start to connect on some of those dangerous big plays downfield.