Things are not looking up for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden as his team prepares for a primetime matchup against the Carolina Panthers on “Thursday Night Football” coming off of a short week.
Green Bay released its injury report on Tuesday, October 27, listing Golden as a DNP [did not practice] for the second consecutive day with injuries to both his foot and his shoulder.
“Appears Travis Glover and Matthew Golden are in danger of not playing on Thursday night,” Zach Kruse of The Packers Wire posted to X.
Other notable players unlikely to go against the Panthers include linebacker Zaire Franklin, who has a hairline fracture in his shin that he sustained during practice ahead of the team’s loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday. The Packers will not send Franklin to the injured reserve list (IR), but it is difficult to imagine he will go at Lambeau Field against Carolina after consecutive DNPs this week.
Previous reports from team insiders and national media indicated that center Sean Rhyan is likely to miss multiple weeks after suffering an ankle injury in-game at Ford Field over the weekend. He didn’t participate in either session on Monday or Tuesday, and playing on a short week after that injury is probably a non-starter, which is a big deal for the Packers’ banged up and shorthanded offensive line.
WR Matthew Golden Critical to Packers Offense This Season
Golden has had his issues during his second NFL season, but he’s also vastly improved upon what was a disappointing rookie season after the Packers spent a first-round pick to acquire him.
He battled through the lingering shoulder injury last week, finishing the contest against the Lions with six catches for 39 yards. To date, Golden has 540 receiving yards and three TDs. He has also logged seven drops, including more than one in the end zone.
Still, Golden is incredibly vital to what Green Bay has done this season offensively given that the team is dead last in the league in rushing. The return of running back Josh Jacobs did not relieve those woes last week against the Lions, and the continuing offensive line concerns do not bode well for the run game’s success in the near future either.
As of Tuesday evening, the Packers are 3.5-point home favorites against the Panthers, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Packers Get Tough Matthew Golden News Ahead of Panthers Showdown