The Green Bay Packers have a lot of young talent to be excited about.
That can be attributed in large part to building most of their roster through the draft. The Packers have a good core of players at key positions, but question marks around the supporting cast. If a few of the latter step up, Green Bay will be in good shape.
Green Bay Packers WR Matthew Golden Predicted for Breakout Season in 2026
-The two names that came up most for MVP were 2020 draft mates Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert.
Jeremey Fowler of ESPN revealed his picks of winners for every major award during the 2026 season. Although this isn’t a reward, he went ahead and named a breakout player — which was Golden.
“Last year was a roller coaster for Golden, who earned rave reviews in 2025 training camp, then spent the season as a tertiary option. He finished the season with 29 catches for 361 yards on 44 targets. All of those totals ranked outside of the top three among Packers weapons last year. The departure of Romeo Doubs opens a spot for Golden in the team’s three-receiver sets alongside Christian Watson and Jayden Reed.”
Golden had inconsistent production as a rookie, recording just 29 receptions for 361 yards, and failing to log a single touchdown. However, he is poised to take on a bigger role in Green Bay’s offense in 2026. As the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Golden as WR1 upside, and will compete with Christian Watson for that role.
Statistics Won’t Define the Impact of Matthew Golden in 2026
If Golden doesn’t put up big numbers this season, it won’t necessarily mean he didn’t make a big impact. The Packers have a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game, such as Watson, Jayden Reed, and tight end Tucker Kraft. Quarterback Jordan Love could spread the wealth around.
What will be important for Golden is to come up big when called upon. Green Bay needs him to be sure-handed, get yards after the catch, and beat coverage. Golden has sharp route running ability, and perhaps most importantly, confidence in himself.
“To be honest, I don’t feel like they’ve seen anything yet,” Golden said during the offseason. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I know what I have done. To me, it wasn’t anything yet. I know it’s a lot more out there. I’m excited for it. I know I’m gonna prove myself right.”
Packers playmaker predicted to emerge after ‘roller coaster’ 2025