The 2026 campaign will only be Matthew Golden’s second season, but the Packers wide receiver and former first-round pick is facing mounting pressure to produce.
After Green Bay traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles, and watched as leading receiver Romeo Doubs signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots, it isn’t a stretch to say that the success of the Packers’ passing game hinges on Christian Watson and tight end Tucker Kraft staying healthy and Golden taking a big leap.
Matthew Golden facing serious pressure to produce for the Packers
Over at CBS Sports, NFL analyst Jared Dubin put together a list of the biggest questions facing every 2025 first-round pick, including whether Golden can ‘produce at a high level.’
“Golden played just 53% of the Packers’ snaps,” Dubin writes for CBS. “During his rookie season and caught only 29 passes for 361 scoreless yards. After the Packers traded Dontayvion Wicks and allowed Romeo Doubs to sign with the Patriots in free agency, it seems like Golden should be consistently locked into three-receiver sets with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed.
“The Packers are going to need him to be much more consistently productive than he was last year or even in college (with the exception of a stretch toward the end of his time at Texas). Can he step up and be that guy?”
If the Packers’ passing game is going to make strides in 2026, Golden is going to need to take a leap.