The Packers’ preseason opener offered a small but meaningful look at how Matthew Golden could be used this fall.
In Thursday night’s exhibition against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers made a subtle personnel tweak that may not have stood out in the moment, but it could matter for Golden’s role in the offense. When the Packers shifted into 12-personnel, Golden was the receiver who stayed on the field.
That detail came via Pro Football Focus’ Nathan Jahnke, who noted that the Packers’ starters played one drive and mostly lived in 11 personnel. “With Watson and Golden outside and Reed in the slot.
The Packers ran only two snaps of 12 personnel, and Reed was off the field for both. Williams took one snap with the first unit, replacing Watson in 11 personnel rather than appearing in the heavier grouping.
That makes Reed unlikely to be the primary receiver in 12, which caps his ceiling, though it doesn’t rule out more of those snaps than usual. Watson and Golden should both play more than they have in the past, but neither is likely to hold above 90% of the offensive snaps, which leaves Reed in position to be the first man off the bench for either.”
For Golden, the takeaway is straightforward: more opportunities. The more he’s on the field, the more room there is for his explosiveness to show up, and the more the Packers can ask of their offense. LaFleur putting him into another personnel grouping is at least an encouraging sign for what Golden might bring once the games start counting.
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