The Green Bay Packers have made their bet on Matthew Golden.
By moving on from both Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs, the team signaled plenty of faith in its second-year receiver, and that belief is starting to ripple beyond Green Bay. PFF recently tabbed the Packers as a breakout team for the 2026 season, with Golden standing out as one of the names tied to that optimism.
Golden’s finish to the 2025 season is a big reason why. He saved his best showing for Green Bay’s only playoff game, catching four passes for 84 yards and an explosive touchdown. It was the kind of performance that hinted at what he can do when the ball keeps finding him.
That opportunity should be there right away in 2026. With the roster changes at receiver, Golden and Christian Watson are set to open the season as Green Bay’s top wideout options. The role is much bigger now, and that alone changes the conversation around what Golden can be.
The regular season numbers from 2025, though, were modest. Golden finished with 29 catches for 361 yards and no touchdowns, a line that fell short of what the first-round pick was expected to provide in an offense with as much talent as Green Bay had a year ago.
Still, the case for a breakout is easy to see. Golden’s speed gives the Packers a real weapon, and the setup around him points to more chances.
Watson has missed time due to injury every season of his career, and Tucker Kraft is coming off an ACL injury. That opens the door for Golden to become a featured target.
It also says something about Jordan Love. The belief here is that Love can get the most out of his receivers and keep Green Bay capable of making every needed throw.
With that combination of opportunity and talent, Golden has a path to a much bigger 2026 season. A 1,000-yard year is a fair target based on how the roster looks right now, and if things break the right way, Golden could put himself into the mix as one of the better NFC North playmakers.
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Packers Suddenly Linked To Veteran Pass Rush Help They May Need Fast
Micah Parsons is expected to open the 2026 season on the Physically Unable to Perform list while he works back from a torn ACL, and that creates an obvious problem for a Packers defense that was counting on him to change the edge in a hurry. With Parsons sidelined, Green Bay may have to lean on less proven options to hold the line early, which is exactly the kind of hole that tends to send front offices scanning the veteran market for a quick fix.
One name now being floated in that conversation is Von Miller, whose own future has become a talking point after he said he regrets his previous signing and could be looking for a new team for 2026. For a Packers club trying to stay in the Super Bowl mix while sorting out its pass-rush depth, the appeal is easy to understand, even if the timing and fit still leave plenty to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
DJ Moore Goodbye Came With One Last Shot At Packers
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For Packers fans, the more interesting part is how the farewell landed beyond the usual thank-you note. Chicago supporters got the gratitude, the memories and the reminder that Moores time with the Bears had plenty of moments worth revisiting, but the message also carried one last piece of old rivalry energy before the family turned the page on his next stop. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Addition Earns Leaguewide Recognition As Depth Debate Heats Up
Green Bays offseason push to thicken the roster has already started to draw notice beyond Lambeau Field, and one of the newer faces is getting a pretty useful kind of attention. Benjamin St.-Juste, signed by the Packers as part of a broader effort to add reliable depth, was included on ESPNs NFL All-Backup Team after his work at cornerback with the Chargers, a nod that suggests he can be more than just an emergency option if Green Bay needs him in 2026.
The Packers have also brought in Zaire Franklin in another targeted move aimed at making the roster sturdier from top to bottom, and that is where the real interest lies. Depth is often the difference between surviving a long season and being forced to patch holes on the fly, so recognition like St.-Justes only adds to the sense that Green Bays front office is trying to build something more resilient, even if the biggest questions about how those additions fit will have to wait. [Read more 🡒]