Nobody outside of 1265 Lombardi Ave seems to understand why Matthew Golden isn't heavily involved in the Green Bay Packers' offense.
Give Golden an opportunity, and he makes plays. He consistently flashes first-round talent, yet the Packers remain stubborn in not increasing his opportunities. It's becoming tougher to defend the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich sure hasn't helped ease Packers fans' frustrations with his comments ahead of the regular-season finale.
"Golden's got a really bright future. He's very talented and his time will come," Stenavich told reporters, "but I think right now, just with the room, the way it is, he's not going to be in that premier role when the playoffs come around."
Matthew Golden won't have a 'premier role' for Packers in the playoffs, and it makes no sense
What a bizarre thing to say publicly.
It makes little sense. Stenavich's comments and Green Bay's stance on Golden come off as stubbornness. Christian Watson has become the Packers' best receiver this season, and Jayden Reed is the starter in the slot. But why isn't Golden getting an opportunity to push Romeo Doubs for snaps? Why is Bo Melton receiving deep targets ahead of him?
The Packers drafted Golden in the first round for a reason, and it's not like he hasn't proved himself when given an opportunity.
He gets open. He doesn't drop passes. He produces big-time catches in must-have moments.
According to Pro Football Focus, Golden's separation percentage (how consistently he beats his coverage to get open) ranks third for the Packers behind only Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft. That's good company to be in. Watson is playing at a Pro Bowl level, and Kraft was one of the most productive tight ends in football before he got hurt.
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PFF also has Golden at zero drops this season. Savion Williams is the only other Packers receiver yet to drop a pass, but the third-round pick only has 10 targets. Watson has just one drop, but Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks each have three.
There's no reason why Golden shouldn't be pushing for a starting job in place of Doubs.
Doubs was Jordan Love's go-to target early in the season, which made sense. He had no Watson until Week 8, and Reed suffered a broken collarbone in Week 2. Meanwhile, Golden was playing his first NFL snaps.
In the opening eight games this season, Doubs caught 34 of 52 targets for 441 yards and four touchdowns. Yet in the eight games since then, he's been targeted just 33 times, with 21 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
Golden dominated throughout training camp and earned the highest of praise from his teammates. Jayden Reed said he'd become a "dominant player in this league."
And then the regular season started, and it's like the Packers forgot he existed.
When they trust their rookie receiver, good things happen. Golden has four or more targets in only five games this season, but in those contests, he has caught 82.6 percent of them for 288 yards while averaging 15.2 yards per catch.
Golden has proved he can do it all. He gets open at a higher rate than any Packers receiver not named Christian Watson. He hasn't dropped a single pass all year, while also making tough catches in traffic. Per PFF, Golden has hauled in both contested catches thrown his way. Doubs has managed just 12 of 28.
The rookie may get an expanded role in Week 18, with the Packers resting several starters against the Minnesota Vikings. It helps that Clayton Tune, who Golden played with in college, is starting at quarterback in Week 18. If Golden steps up and proves himself (again), the Packers may need to rethink their plans.