The Green Bay Packers are likely to be without wide receiver Matthew Golden in their Week 8 matchup with the Carolina Panthers. This is going to leave a massive opportunity for second-year wide receiver Savion Williams.
Head coach Matt LaFleur noted that Williams has already given the team a spark on offense, but he expects him to take on a bigger role now.
“I think Savion’s come in and given us a spark,” admitted LaFleur. “He’s done some nice things, made some critical plays on multiple third downs. He’s a big presence.”
Williams had 78 yards in 2025. He recorded 79 yards in two games in 2026.
LaFleur had a nickname for Williams. He told him he wants Williams to be a goon. To LaFleur, that means using his size to his advantage.
“I told him today, I was like, “Hey, man, you got to be the goon.” He’s a big guy that is physical, and we need that from him.”
Williams will likely get a career-high in snaps in Week 8.
Green Bay Packers Have Big Expectations for Savion Williams in Week 8
The biggest difference with Williams so far this year is he is being used down the field more, and less as a gadget player. They will need this pressence in Week 8 if Golden is out. Williams has three targets ten yards downfield this season and one target that is 20 yards down the field.
Last year, he only had one deep target through the entire year. He has tripled that total in two games. LaFleur noted they are not surprised that he can be used in a variety of ways.
“I thought we were pretty confident that he could do that,” said LaFleur. “There were multiple tapes from when he was at TCU of him doing stuff down the field. As I said, he’s a big guy. He’s got he’s really strong hands. He’s got good speed.
LaFleur referenced his deep target in 2025 as a reason why they felt confident in him. He hauled in a 33-yard pass.
“We got a little glimpse of it a year ago, I would say, in that New York game when he made a critical play on a big third down where Jordan (Love) just kind of threw it up to him,” said LaFluer. “So he’s definitely shown that ability.
Williams started the year on the IR, but came back in Week 6 and hit the ground running.
Packers Happy With Williams Progression
LaFleur noted that Williams coming in cold in Week 6 and showing this much improvement is a sign of how much better he can be in the coming weeks.
“Yeah, I think it’s very difficult, but I think it speaks to who he is as a person and just the approach he takes,” said LaFleur. “You know, he’s had some adversity that he’s faced in regards to just being in and out of the lineup quite a bit, but I think the more he plays, the better he’s going to get.”
The team has not deemed Golden out yet. If they do, the attention will shift to Williams.
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