When the Green Bay Packers selected Matthew Golden in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, they must've expected him to become a playmaker for quarterback Jordan Love.
However, he ended up having a quiet rookie season. Then again, players' readiness is always variable, so the Packers didn't fret. Instead, they've put him in a position to ensure he's going to break out in his sophomore campaign.
Green Bay let Romeo Dubbs bolt in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles, paving the way for Golden to land a bigger role. Based on comments that passing game coordinator Jason Vrable made, he's up to the task.
The Packers are confident Matthew Golden can take off in Year 2
Several Packers offensive coaches had an exchange with the local media. When asked about Golden, passing game coordinator Jason Vrable heaped praise on him, pointing out that he's always had the physical talent but is starting to get a stronger grasp of the mental part.
"He's always been able to catch the ball and run through the football, and that's what great receivers do," Vrable said, via the team's official website. "His hand-eye coordination, I'd say, is one of the better ones I've been around. So he can do that, but now the mental part, he's starting to become a lot more confident. And I can feel it, you know?"
Later in the exchange, Vrable states that players can't play fast if they don't know the playbook. However, Golden has been honing his craft, which is why the team's brass is stoked about him going into Year 2.
"And just doing the reps over and over again and competing the way he does, we're all fired up about him," Vrable said.
Golden appeared in 15 games with four starts as a rookie, reeling in 29 catches for 361 yards with no touchdowns. This could make you wonder why the Green Bay brass is so high on him despite the fact that Doubs, running back Josh Jacobs, and tight end Tucker Kraft had more catches than him.
For starters, Golden is still the same talented player who became a staple of the Longhorns offense back in college. Moreover, he showed what he was capable of doing in the playoffs, racking up four receptions for 81 yards with a touchdown in the loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Packers have seen Golden's development firsthand, and if they hadn't seen him make strides and get better, they wouldn't have felt comfortable moving on from Doubs and Wicks in the offseason. With them out of the mix, Golden is set to have a breakout year.
Pressure either makes diamonds or bursts pipes. The Packers will soon find out which category fits Golden better. With Doubs and Wicks out of the picture, opposing teams will devote more attention to neutralizing him. Moreover, Kraft tore his ACL last year. Although he's ahead of schedule in his recovery, he may not be at full strength come Week 1. That would put additional pressure on Golden to deliver.
Working in Golden's favor is that he'll get plenty of opportunities to showcase his game-changing skills.
Golden has lots of things going for him ahead of Year 2, so it will be up to him to show that the Packers' confidence in him isn't misguided.
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