The Green Bay Packers' decision to sign veterans wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed to lucrative long-term contract extensions didn't come without questions. Chief among the concerns is what investing further in them means for their position mate, Matthew Golden.
Many have viewed Watson and Reed's respective paydays as a vote of no confidence in Golden, who's coming off a disappointing rookie campaign. And on the surface, worries about the Packers having too many cooks in the kitchen make sense, considering that was their downfall last season.
FanSided's Wynston Wilcox appears to be among those on the edge about recent happenings in Green Bay. He believes Watson and Reed's new deals "sped up Golden's clock," setting up a make-or-break 2026 for the second-year pro. However, maybe we should pump the brakes a little bit.
Wilcox seems ready to sound the alarms, suggesting that the Packers could entertain trading Golden as soon as this summer, which feels quite far-fetched.
"Now this season, [Golden] has to prove he's good enough to be a long-term piece in this offense," Wilcox wrote. "The Packers have finally gotten out of their receiver surplus. Golden can very well be in the core of this receiver room, but if things look a bit shoddy during minicamp—or someone else surpasses him—it could trigger the Packers to start fielding offers."
Packers haven't lost faith in Matthew Golden despite commitments to Christian Watson, Jayden Reed
Would the Packers have felt more comfortable letting Watson and Reed test the market if Golden proved to be an instant difference-maker? It's fair to wonder, yet that doesn't necessarily mean their situations are connected.
Green Bay taking care of their own isn't a direct reflection of Golden; they're just buying him and themselves more time (literally). He can continue to develop at his pace without the pressure of being thrust into the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Watson and Reed give the club a pair of established playmakers.
It's important to remember that not everything is linear. We tend to hyperanalyze every move, nitpicking to a fault at times. Having said that, the Packers ostensibly don't want to put too much on Golden's plate too soon, which Watson and Reed allow them to do.
Not to mention, Golden looked good in his limited opportunities in 2025. He showed why Green Bay spent a first-round pick on him, punctuated by a strong showing in their Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears.
Golden caught 29 of 44 targets for 361 scoreless yards across 14 games last season, excluding the aforementioned playoff performance. The Packers, namely head coach Matt LaFleur, remain high on the Texas product.
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