Matthew Golden

Matthew Golden
Golden in 2025
No. 0 – Green Bay Packers
PositionWide receiver
Roster status
Active
Personal information
Born (2003-08-01) August 1, 2003 (age 23)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Listed height
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight
191 lb (87 kg)
Career information
High schoolKlein Cain (Harris County, Texas)
College
NFL draft2025: 1st round, 23rd overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2026
Receptions82
Receiving yards1,144
Receiving touchdowns5
Rushing yards55
Return yards55
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Matthew Golden (born August 1, 2003) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars and Texas Longhorns and was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life

Golden was born in Houston, Texas and attended Klein Cain High School, where he caught 167 receptions for 3,242 yards and 32 touchdowns, while also rushing for 112 yards and four touchdowns. A four star prospect, he initially committed to play college football at Texas Christian University, but later flipped his commitment to the University of Houston.

College career

Houston

Ahead of his freshman season in 2022, Golden earned a starting spot. In week 12 of the 2022 season, he brought in eight passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a win over East Carolina. Golden finished the season with 38 receptions for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. He was listed on the Walter Camp Award watchlist for the 2023 season. In week 3 of the 2023 season, Golden hauled in four passes for 56 yards, while also returning three kicks for 132 yards and a touchdown, in a loss versus TCU, earning Big 12 Conference special teams player of the week honors. In week 7, he returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown in a win over West Virginia.

On December 7, 2023, Golden announced that he would be entering the transfer portal.

Texas

Golden with the Texas Longhorns in 2024

On December 16, 2023, Golden announced that he would be transferring to Texas. In the 2024 regular season, he led the team with 49 receptions for 787 yards and eight touchdowns. Texas lost to Georgia in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship game and advanced to the College football Playoffs, beating Clemson and Arizona State. On January 13, 2025, Golden declared for the 2025 NFL draft.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanWingspan40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split
5 ft 11 in
(1.80 m)		191 lb
(87 kg)		30+5⁄8 in
(0.78 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		6 ft 4+3⁄8 in
(1.94 m)		4.29 s1.49 s2.49 s
All values from NFL Combine

2025 season

Golden was selected in the first round with the 23rd overall in the 2025 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the first wide receiver selected in the first round by the Packers since Javon Walker in 2002. Golden signed his four-year rookie contract on May 19, 2025 worth $17.58 million fully guaranteed. Golden was named the starting outside receiver over veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath.

Golden made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, catching 2 passes for 16 yards in the 27–13 win. In the Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Golden had his first 50+ yard game, catching 4 passes for 52 yards and rushing 9 yards. He would finish his rookie season with 29 receptions for 361 yards, as well as carrying the ball ten times for 49 yards. In a Wild Card playoff game against the Chicago Bears, Golden had 4 receptions for 84 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown, the first of his NFL career, in a 31–27 loss.

2026 season

Entering the 2026 season, Golden was named the third wide receiver on the depth chart behind Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. Then, after the 20–17 overtime win against the New York Jets in week two, after Reed was down during the game and eventually out for the rest of the season, Golden became the second wide receiver in the depth chart following the injury. Golden was devastated after Reed was ruled out for the season. Right away, Golden would make an impact for the Packers that season.

Golden had his first career 100-yard receiving game against the Atlanta Falcons on five receptions, including catching his first regular-season touchdown in the 35–14 loss. He would then have back-to-back 100-yard receiving games for the first time in his career, catching six passes for 123 yards against the Chicago Bears in the 31–7 win, and catching six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in the 23–13 win against the Dallas Cowboys. In the 45–27 win against the New England Patriots, he caught ten receptions on ten targets for 164 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Watson had seven receptions for 171 receiving yards and a touchdown. They both became the first wide-receiver duo in Packers history to have 150+ receiving yards and 1+ touchdown since Don Hutson and Andy Uram in 1942. However, during that game, when Watson caught a 39-yard touchdown in the third quarter, he and Watson did a "double-backflip celebration", in which both him and his teammate did a backflip together. This resulted in head coach Matt LaFleur issuing a warning to them to never do that again, citing injury concerns.

Career statistics

NFL

Regular season

NFL regular season statistics
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2025GB 1452936112.446010494.99000
2026GB 874361914.45041666000
Career22127298013.6504115559000
Source: pro-football-reference.com


Postseason

NFL postseason statistics
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2025GB 1048421.0361000.00000
Career1048421.0361000.00000
Source: pro-football-reference.com

College

College statistics
Year Team Games Receiving Kick returns
GPGSRecYdsAvgTDAttYdsAvgTD
2022Houston 1183858415.47511623.20
2023Houston 993840410.66932135.72
2024Texas 16165898717.091428520.40
Career36331341,97514.7222872225.82
Source: sports-reference.com

References

  1. ↑ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2025 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 84. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Matthew Golden's Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved October 16, 2023. [better source needed]
  3. ↑ Baldwin, Chris (August 5, 2022). "How Matthew Golden Quietly Wowed No Hype UH Coach Dana Holgorsen and Became a 7-Year-Old's Hero — The Real Story of UH's Next Star". Paper City Magazine. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  4. ↑ Warren, Peter (December 15, 2021). "4-star WR Matthew Golden stays home, commits to Houston". On3.com. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Matthew Golden, Texas Longhorns, Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (August 4, 2022). "UH freshman receiver Matthew Golden already penciled in as starter". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  7. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (November 19, 2022). "Houston's defense makes statement in win over East Carolina". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  8. ↑ Yates, Carter (August 25, 2023). "Matthew Golden has big shoes to fill as Houston's No. 1 WR". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (August 2, 2023). "UH sophomore receiver Matthew Golden welcomes all balls thrown his way". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  10. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (September 18, 2023). "UH's Matthew Golden named Big 12 special teams player of the week". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  11. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (October 13, 2023). "Cougars report card: Grading UH after win over West Virginia". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  12. ↑ Leland, Starns (December 7, 2023). "Golden, other UH starters enter transfer portal". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  13. ↑ Cook, Joe (December 16, 2023). "Houston WR Matthew Golden to transfer to Texas". On3.com. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ Wells, Justin (January 13, 2025). "Matthew Golden declares for the NFL Draft". On3.com. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  15. ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Matthew Golden Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Matthew Golden College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  17. ↑ Spofford, Mike (April 24, 2025). "2025 NFL Draft: Packers select Texas WR Matthew Golden in 1st round, No. 23 overall". Packers.com.
  18. ↑ Kruse, Zach (May 19, 2025). "Packers sign first-round pick Matthew Golden to rookie contract". Packers Wire. USA Today. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Matthew Golden Contract Details". Over the Cap. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  20. ↑ Mosqueda, Justis (September 2, 2025). "Packers name WR Matthew Golden a starter on Week 1 depth chart". Acme Packing Company. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Is Matthew Golden Hurt? Breaking Down Why the Packers Rookie Had a Quiet Game in His NFL Debut". Pro Football Network. September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  22. ↑ Gatlin, Jamie (September 24, 2025). "Former Longhorn WR Matthew Golden breaks out against Cleveland Browns". Longhorns Wire. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  23. ↑ Kruse, Zach (January 11, 2026). "Matthew Golden shines as bright spot during dark end to Packers season". USA Today. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  24. ↑ Radcliffe, J. R.; read, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel·Milwaukee Journal Sentinel·2 min (September 9, 2026). "Packers release unofficial depth chart prior to Week 1 vs Vikings". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 10, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Demovsky, Rob (September 30, 2026). "Packers WR Jayden Reed to undergo season-ending neck surgery". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
  26. ↑ Wilde, Jason (October 13, 2026). "'A beautiful thing to see:' After streamlining their depth chart at receiver, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are giving the Packers exactly what they'd envisioned". Channel3000.com. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
  27. ↑ read, Rex Villas·Gridiron Heroics·3 min (October 1, 2026). "Matthew Golden Left Heartbroken by Tough Packers News". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 10, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ↑ "Matthew Golden's best plays from 100-yard game vs. Falcons | Week 3". www.nfl.com. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Matthew Golden 2026 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
  30. ↑ Villas, Rex (November 10, 2026). "Packers' Christian Watson, Matthew Golden Pull Off Receiving Feat Not Seen Since World War II". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
  31. ↑ Kruse, Zach; read, Packers Wire·Packers Wire·1 min (November 9, 2026). "Matt LaFleur on Packers double backflip celebration: 'Don't ever do that again'". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 10, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)