Finally, the Green Bay Packers have a first-round wide receiver to work with. Over the course of the summer and training camp, Matthew Golden's rookie hype had reached extraordinary levels. But, through two games, it's suddenly vanished.
If you asked the fantasy football community, some might tell you to start thinking panic. In two games, Golden has managed just four targets out of Jordan Love's 53 attempts.
Where is the sensationalized narrative we heard over the past few months? Why is Golden hardly involved, especially when this team has long needed a first-round talent like him? Four targets, for a first-round wide receiver, seems awfully low.
Over the last decade, there have only been eight first-round wide receivers to receive four targets or fewer in their first two games: Golden, DJ Moore, Mike Williams, Kadarius Toney, Jameson Williams, DeVante Parker, John Ross, and Laquon Treadwell. That's not exactly the company you want to be in, outside of maybe Moore and (Jameson) Williams.
It's far from panic time over Matthew Golden's involvement in the Packers' offense
I'm here to state the obvious for any of those eternal optimists out there.
It's been two games.
Look at the facts, and maybe the most eye-popping fact if we want to get excited again: Golden leads the NFL in average separation score.
He can get open. He does it better than anyone, after just a couple of games. That, in and of itself, should give Packers fans plenty of reason to be hopeful. We aren't going to hit the panic button just yet on Golden. Everything we heard and saw over the summer was positive. We know the coaches like him. We know he fits with what the offense wants to do.
The other blatant fact is that the Packers are 2-0 and they look like they have the best defense in football. To complain about Golden not being overly involved seems like an oversight.
It's only a matter of time.
Had Jordan Love connected with Golden on even one of the two long targets he's had to this point, we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation. Golden very likely would have scored on one of the two misses from Love.
Now, Jayden Reed is out a while too, so Golden's opportunities have no choice but to increase. It'll come. Have no fear.