Much has been said about Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden’s disappointing rookie season in 2025.
After becoming the first wide receiver picked by Green Bay in the first round of an NFL draft in over two decades, Golden carried with him a tremendous expectation to be a big contributor to the Packers’ Jordan Love-led attack.
However, Golden struggled in his rookie campaign in the pros. In the 14 games he played, he only amassed 361 receiving yards. He never found the end zone in the regular season. Part of the reason for his mediocre numbers was the lack of looks downfield.
The former Texas Longhorns star was only targeted 44 times in the season. Running back Josh Jacobs had as many targets as Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson (who missed games to start the season), who led the team with 85 and 55 targets, respectively.
Amid the doubts on Golden, former Green Bay star wide receiver Randall Cobb showed support for the incoming second-year NFL wideout.
Former Packers WR believes in Golden
Cobb used former teammates Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson as examples to explain why people shouldn’t worry so much about Golden.
Here’s what Cobb said about Golden, via Ellie French of WLUK-TV FOX 11:
“Yes, and neither did Jordan, neither did Tae. I mean, he had probably more opportunities because we weren’t as deep in that year. But that’s the way it goes. When you’re playing in an offense like this, you need multiple guys that can make plays. Yes, he was a first-round pick, and yes, the expectation probably was really high, but I think his ceiling is really high.
And to see him end the season the way that he did in Chicago was so proud of that moment and for him to have that opportunity. I obviously wish the game would have turned out differently, but I think that’s something to build on and something for him to realize that he has the capability and he’ll probably have more opportunity now with less guys in the room.”
With the departures of Jaydeen Reed and Dontayvion Wicks in the offseason, Golden can expect to see more attention downfield from Love in 2026.
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