The Green Bay Packers frustrated fans last season with how they used wide receiver Matthew Golden. General manager Brian Gutekunst has finally acknowledged that they should have done more.
While the Packers' history of wide receiver development and playing time is clear, it still left many baffled about Golden's lack of opportunities. To many, he was about as underutilized as you could imagine. Despite showcasing himself on the field, the ball rarely found him.
Speaking to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Gutekunst acknowledged it.
"He had a great training camp last year, obviously he's had a really good one this year. Last year, I think it came down to opportunities," Gutekunst said when asked about why Golden might not have made the impact many hoped he would. "As he got going, a lot of young receivers don't get the opportunities they want early on. That was probably the case, and we probably should have thrown the ball to him a little bit more, quite frankly."
Golden displayed talent on the field, consistently being an open option for quarterback Jordan Love, but he was targeted only 44 times all season. After the regular season, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich caused more frustration by telling reporters that Golden was "not going to be in that premier role when the playoffs come around."
While many argued this was simply the Packers' way of handling young players, others lamented the missed chances the team had by not allowing a young player to shine.
It sure sounds like the Packers have learned their lesson with Matthew Golden
Gutekunst did note that Golden "got hurt for a little bit," but that he was "very impactful" for the team in the back half of the season. Still, the fact that Gutekunst not only acknowledged Golden's impact but also openly admitted that the team should've made him a bigger part of the offense is huge news.
Golden's arrival in Green Bay was about as spectacular as you could imagine. Former Packers president Mark Murphy infamously announced him as the team's first-round pick (the first time they had taken a wide receiver in the first round in over 20 years) in front of a hometown crowd in Green Bay, in a moment that felt more like a pre-scripted moment than anything else.
Unfortunately for Golden, his moment at the draft didn't carry over into a superstar season. He ended his rookie campaign with just 361 receiving yards and a single touchdown that came in the team's NFC Wild Card Round loss to the Chicago Bears.
After a stellar offseason and a really impressive training camp, though, fans are hoping that the team finally leans on Golden as the first-round talent he was drafted to be. Last year, he showed flashes of being more than capable of being a lead receiver in the NFL, but now it's up to the team to let him do it.
At the very least, the GM knows that it should be happening.
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