GREEN BAY – Matthew Golden has a take on his rookie season that might catch an outside observer off-guard.
He wouldn't change it.
"I would say it happened exactly how it was supposed to," Golden said after the Packers' OTA practice Tuesday. "I feel like it developed me and (my) mindset to have a chip on my shoulder, just how to go about things. I wouldn't change anything that happened last year. I feel like for this year, it's a part of the plan, man, and I'm excited."
Make no mistake, missing three games and portions of others due to shoulder and wrist injuries, and catching just 29 passes for 361 yards without a touchdown in his first NFL regular season, wasn't exactly what anyone had in mind for a history-making first-round draft choice.
But Golden has owned the shortcomings and is determined to be better because of them.
First and foremost, physically. Listed at 5-11 and 191 pounds, Golden believes his smaller stature contributed to his injury issues, so he added some weight this offseason, though he didn't say how much.
Second, mentally. Golden feels he's in a better place with the playbook, which is helping build chemistry with QB Jordan Love. His teammates have noticed.
"It's going to be a huge jump for M.G., man," fellow receiver Jayden Reed said. "You can tell the game is slowing down for him. He's learned to play much better. You can tell he's just more comfortable out there.
"I can speak from my point of view. Me going into Year 2, it was way more smooth just even knowing the playbook. So, he's gaining that confidence and he's going to be dangerous for this offense."
He showed a glimpse of that in the playoff loss at Chicago last January, putting together the best game of his rookie season with four catches for 84 yards and a his first pro score – an impressive, tackle-breaking catch-and-run covering 23 yards that gave the Packers an 11-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
When he crossed the goal line, Golden let out a primal scream in celebration with his teammates that looked as much about personal validation as the intensity of the playoffs themselves.
"I wasn't going to go down, man," he said. "I had the mindset of getting in the end zone regardless of who was in front of me. How it was lined up, I didn't want to go down. I just had to get in there.
"We didn't get the win. That's obviously something we wanted, but to build off last year, that was everything I was looking forward to. I got the mindset to attack everything as it comes."
The runway has been cleared for Golden's takeoff, too.
Romeo Doubs departed in free agency and the Packers traded Dontayvion Wicks, so the offense enters 2026 with a clear-cut top three at receiver in Christian Watson, Reed and Golden. Depth remains abundant with last year's third-round pick, Savion Williams, plus veteran Bo Melton and newcomer Skyy Moore.
But there's no question the receiving trio – along with tight end Tucker Kraft – the passing game will be built around. That has raised both the excitement and expectations for Golden, whose final college season at Texas (58 catches, 987 yards, nine TDs) after two years at Houston prompted the Packers to spend a first-round pick on a receiver for the first time in 23 years.
The speedster is taking it all in stride.
"I wouldn't say (there's) pressure and I wouldn't say (I'm) the guy," he said. "We got guys all around the room. Not just me but we got guys on the team who can all make plays. I wouldn't even put that on myself. I would just say I gotta be ready for the opportunities that I get."
Remember, it's all part of the plan, man. There's no looking back and worrying about the past. In nearly 10 minutes with the media Tuesday, Golden didn't utter the word disappointment once when talking about his rookie season.
He only said he wouldn't change it, and he's eager to show he's got more to offer.
"To be honest, I don't feel like they've seen anything yet," Golden said. "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."
