The Green Bay Packers picked up a huge 28-21 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday to take over first place in the NFC North. Not only that, Jayden Reed's return from a broken collarbone finally put this banged-up receiving corps at full strength, making targets harder to come by for some wide receivers, as it provided quarterback Jordan Love plenty of weapons in the passing game.
One of those impacted is rookie Matthew Golden, who only received one target and played a team-low five offensive snaps in the win over the Bears. The talented rookie, though, should not be counted out yet despite his slow start, suggesting it has been a process getting acclimated to the competitiveness of the league and that "all the details matter," per Brett Christopherson of PackersNews.com.
The stats are not great right now, but if you compare him to some of his teammates when they started out and even another rookie WR in the league, the Packers should still feel optimistic about his abilities.
The Packers Need to Be Patient with Matthew Golden
Golden, the first receiver taken by the Packers in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002, has 24 catches for 286 yards and zero TDs in 10 games, but only 37 yards in the last four games. Shoulder and wrist injuries have certainly contributed to Golden's lack of production recently, not to mention the attention that Romeo Doubs (542 yards, five TDs), Christian Watson (452 yards, five TDs), and Dontayvion Wicks (307 yards, two TDs) continue to receive in the passing attack. The return of Jayden Reed only adds another weapon to the offense, and cornerback Bo Melton even caught a TD in the win over Chicago.
Golden's current stats are not impressive, considering he is fifth on the team in receiving yards and has only been targeted 33 times, while Doubs has a team-high 73 targets. However, Watson has dealt with his own injuries and has emerged as one of Love's go-to options down the field, which could provide Golden with a blueprint for success as he continues to search for more targets and playing time. Reed and Doubs also had slow starts to their NFL careers, but have now become key cogs of Green Bay's offense, providing even more hope for Golden amid his early struggles.
Outside of Green Bay, Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka began his rookie season on a tear with three TDs in his first two games and a pair of games with more than 100 receiving yards in his first five NFL starts. However, since the Nov. 9 loss to the New England Patriots, when Egbuka had six catches for 115 yards and one TD, he has been held to 42 yards or less with zero TDs since, showing that Golden is not the only wideout searching for answers while also demonstrating how the role within an offense can change over time and from one matchup to another.
With the receiving room at full strength, Golden's immediate outlook does not look great as other playmakers continue to be the focal point of the offense. However, with fellow rookie Savion Williams only having 10 catches all season, his outlook appears to be far worse as he falls down the WR pecking order. While Golden is not much better off at this moment, he has provided enough glimpses of his potential in limited action and would not have been drafted so highly if Green Bay did not eventually have a plan for him.