The big day is almost here. Green Bay Packers first-round pick Matthew Golden will make his NFL debut on Sunday when the Pack hosts the Detroit Lions. The Texas alum had a strong preseason and training camp and will be one of the team’s starting receivers in Week 1. As his first game approaches, Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden is ready to make an impact in his NFL debut.

Packers WR Matthew Golden Set to Make an Impact: A Promising Preseason

When the Packers selected Golden in the first round of this year’s draft, he became the first wide receiver the team had taken in the opening round in more than two decades.

Golden made a strong first impression in training camp and stood out almost from day one. His teammates and the Packers front office recognized that immediately.

“He’s come in, he’s made a name for himself and he’s making some good plays every day,” quarterback Jordan Love told reporters.

“He’s one of those rookies that has made one or two plays every day that, when you start to see that, the consistency of that, there’s a lot of history here that those guys make it and are pretty good players in this league,” GM Brian Gutekunst said after seeing Golden in training camp.

Golden played in two preseason games. He started off with a contested catch against Pro Bowl cornerback Sauce Gardner. Later in that series, he drew a pass interference penalty on Gardner.

In the final preseason game against Seattle, he caught a 39-yard pass that showcased his hands and his ability to catch the deep ball.

The Depth Chart

The hard work in training camp paid off. When the Packers announced their depth chart before the season opener, Golden was one of the three starting wideouts along with Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed.

His teammates feel he’s earned that honor. “The way he’s learned the playbook, just the skill set he has, he’s going to be a dominant player in this league,” Reed said. “If he continues to lock in on what he needs to lock in on and focus on the playbook and all that kind of stuff, he’s going to be very dominant. What he got, you can’t teach. He’s a really good football player. He’s fast. Can’t teach that, man. He’s smooth in his routes. You can’t teach that. That work you put in, day in, day out — he showed that.”

“Hell of a player,” cornerback Keisean Nixon added. “You can tell why he went first round. Strong at the catch point, strong hands, strong upper body. I think he’ll have a really good year.”

Packers WR Matthew Golden Set to Make an Impact: Looking Ahead

Golden has a chance to make an impact as a rookie. The Packers rookie record for catches by a receiver is 64 set by Reed in 2023. If he stays healthy and plays to his potential, Golden hopes to surpass that mark.

The Packers rookie feels ready. “I just feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life to get in the position I’m in right now,” Golden said. “At the end of the day, it’s still football. It’s the sport I’ve been playing since I was a kid. That’s just how I treat it.”

Golden also sees progress in his game since the start of camp. “Now I’m fully starting to understand the small things,” Golden said. “Going to Texas really helped me, because it was kind of the same offense. But coming here, it’s a lot of different terminology. It’s just a small thing that you didn’t know about route depth, just different techniques and things like that, being able to read coverages. The transition was smooth, and I’m finally starting to feel like I can just go out there and play.”

His quarterback is also excited about Golden. “Being a receiver drafted in the first round by this organization, we haven’t taken a receiver in the first round since 2002,” Love said. “I think MG is the perfect guy to go have a breakout year. The things he’s done during OTAs and training camp, just continuing to get better every day. The splash plays he makes has got me very excited to see what he’s going to be about during the season. He’s going to be a guy we try to get the ball to as much as possible.”

Sunday will be Golden’s NFL debut. He will face a tough Detroit Lions team. He appears ready for the challenge. Now, it’s time to start showing how good he can be.

 

 

 

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