For more reasons than one, the Green Bay Packers are coming off a bad loss to the Carolina Panthers, one in which they were two-touchdown favorites. As disappointing an outcome as that was, it pales in comparison to what also transpired that will have long-standing impacts on the team's Super Bowl aspirations, as they lost tight end Tucker Kraft for the season due to a torn ACL.
As the Packers seek to turn the page on this injury and gear up for the second half of the season, the production they've gotten from rookie receiver Matthew Golden has been underwhelming. For a team that picked Golden in the first round, which was the first time since 2002 they drafted a first-round receiver, the production hasn't followed.
Matthew Golden Is Off to a Slow Start with the Packers
Through eight games, Golden has 23 catches for 262 receiving yards and 11.4 yards per reception. He has yet to find the end zone, though, which has to be tough, as 10 other rookie receivers have scored.
The most productive rookie receiver has been Tampa Bay's Emeka Egbuka, who has 562 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Carolina's Tetairoa McMillan isn't far behind with 558 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Golden comes in at No. 8 among rookies in receiving yards, but that sort of productivity isn't where many believed it would be. Things appeared to be heading in the right direction after Golden had 86 receiving yards in the Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, it has gone in the opposite direction, as Golden has posted 37, four, then nine receiving yards over the next three weeks. This isn't the trend Green Bay wants for their young pass catcher.
The receiver room has been in flux this year for the Packers, as Jayden Reed is on IR with a collarbone and foot injury. They just got Christian Watson back in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dontayvion Wicks has dealt with a calf injury.
With all these moving parts in the receiver room, many would have envisioned Golden having a better start to his Green Bay career, but that hasn't been the case. It's not a surprise that this slow start has affected the Texas product, as he deactivated his Instagram account following the contest against the Steelers.
Nonetheless, the Packers will need to get more production out of the 22-year-old, especially with Kraft gone for the year. The next nine games will be massive, and Green Bay needs to find a way to get him more involved. There's a reason they selected him in the first round, and it's time to get him going. The first eight weeks haven't gone as planned, but the Packers must make an effort to change that.