Is This The Biggest Draft Bust Of 2025? From Training Camp Hero To Zero Touchdowns In 13 Games

Four months ago, Matthew Golden was “dominating training camp” and being hailed as Jordan Love’s future alpha receiver. Packers fans were electric. Beat reporters gushed about his hands, his speed, his route-running. He was the first wide receiver Green Bay had drafted in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002.

Now? Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich just delivered the death blow:

“He’s not going to be in that premier role when the playoffs come around.”

Let that sink in. The Packers’ $17.58 million investment, the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, won’t even have a “premier role” when games actually matter.

Welcome to the Matthew Golden disaster — a cautionary tale of hype, missed connections, and what might be the biggest first-round bust of 2025.

The Brutal Reality: ZERO Touchdowns in 13 Games

Here are the numbers that should terrify Packers fans:

Matthew Golden’s 2025 Season:

• 28 receptions (officially 27 per some stats)
• 353 yards receiving
• ZERO touchdowns
• 13 games played
• Currently WR5 on depth chart

Read that again: ZERO TOUCHDOWNS.

Savion Williams, a rookie receiver the Packers drafted TWO ROUNDS LATER in Round 3, found the end zone in Week 8.

Bo Melton, who converted back from cornerback to wide receiver, connected on a 45-yard touchdown bomb from Love BEFORE Golden did.

Hell, even backup tight ends have scored before Golden.

A first-round pick going 13 games without a touchdown isn’t just disappointing — it’s historically bad.

“He’s Not Gonna Be In That Premier Role” – The Quote That Says It All

In a brutally honest assessment this week, Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich was asked about Golden’s role heading into the playoffs.

His answer? A gut punch to Golden and everyone who believed in him:

“He’s not going to be in that premier role when the playoffs come around.”

Stenavich tried to soften the blow, adding: “If you told me he’s the number one receiver on a play, I’d be very excited about it too.”

But the damage was done. The Packers’ OC just publicly admitted that their first-round pick — the guy they drafted specifically to be Jordan Love’s #1 target — won’t have a major role in the postseason.

Head coach Matt LaFleur echoed the sentiment: “Not many rookie players, especially first rounders, come into a situation where there’s a bunch of guys that have established themselves.”

Translation: We didn’t draft Golden to play in Year 1. We drafted him to sit and learn.

But then why did you draft a receiver in the FIRST ROUND?

The Week 2 Disaster That Changed Everything

If there’s a sliding doors moment in Golden’s rookie season, it’s Week 2 against Washington.

Jordan Love missed Golden on TWO deep shots that would have been touchdowns.

Love underthrew Golden in the end zone on fourth-and-3 on the game’s opening drive. Then in the second quarter, with the Packers backed up on their own 8-yard line, LaFleur called a shot play for Golden, who used his 4.29 40-yard dash speed to blow by a pair of defenders only to have Love overthrow the deep ball.

On that second play, NFL Next Gen Stats clocked Golden at 21.87 miles per hour — the third-fastest speed in the NFL in the first two weeks.

He did everything right. And Love missed him. Twice.

“I thought M.G. did a great job running this route,” LaFleur said. “Think if we just put a little bit more air under that, you have a different result.”

Golden finished that game with ZERO catches.

And it’s hard not to wonder: Are we living in a completely different universe if those passes had landed? If those missed connections kicked off Golden’s NFL career with a bang instead of a whimper?

Training Camp Hero → Regular Season Ghost

Remember the hype?

“He was dominating training camp, earning praise from teammates and beat reporters alike, and carrying it onto the field with a successful preseason. The hype train surrounding ‘Agent 0’ was born out of not only practice-field flashes, but pure excitement and desire out of the Green Bay fanbase.”

Golden turned heads at training camp, going through various routes including corner routes for touchdowns. Packers fans were told to be “on the lookout for their newest wide receiver.”

Day after day, practice after practice, Golden hauled in just about every ball thrown his way. Beat reporters predicted he’d be a top-25 fantasy receiver as a rookie.

And then the regular season started.

In his first two games, Golden had only 16 yards on two catches despite playing more than half (63 of 116) of the offensive snaps.

By Week 17 against the Bears — a rivalry game with playoff implications on the line — Golden tallied zero receptions on one target. He was the WR5 on the depth chart behind Watson, Reed, Doubs, and Wicks.

The Injury Excuse (That Doesn’t Hold Up)

Golden’s supporters will point to injuries:

• Shoulder injury in Week 8 vs Panthers
• Wrist injury starting Week 12

He missed three games total (Weeks 10, 12, 13) and was limited in others.

But here’s the problem: Even when healthy, Golden wasn’t producing.

In his return from injury Week 14, he played just 22 offensive snaps, trailing Jayden Reed (45), Christian Watson (43), Romeo Doubs (43), and Dontayvion Wicks (30).

The injuries slowed him down. But they didn’t cause the fundamental problem: The Packers don’t trust him in a featured role.

The Stat That Tells The Whole Story: Elite Separator, Zero Production

Here’s what makes this so frustrating:

Golden was an elite separator according to Next Gen Stats. He was getting open. He was running routes correctly. He clocked 21.87 MPH on that Week 2 deep shot.

The talent is there. The speed is there. The work ethic is there.

But the production? Nowhere to be found.

“It’s real early,” Stenavich said back in September. “I wouldn’t look too much into that. I think we had some opps we just missed in the last game that could’ve been some pretty huge plays.”

Well, Adam, it’s Week 18 now. Golden still has ZERO touchdowns. At what point do we stop saying “it’s early” and start saying “this isn’t working”?

Comparing Golden To Other 2025 Rookie WRs (It’s Brutal)

Let’s see how Golden stacks up against other rookie receivers:

Emeka Egbuka (Round 1, Pick 17 – Bengals): 930 yards, multiple TDs Xavier Legette (Round 1, Pick 32 – Panthers): 929 yards
Keon Coleman (Round 2 – Bills): 617 yards, 5 TDs Savion Williams (Round 3, Pick 88 – PACKERS): Scored TD before Golden

Golden: 353 yards, 0 TDs

He’s not just underperforming for a first-round pick. He’s underperforming compared to THIRD-ROUND picks.

The Packers’ “Limit Rookies” Philosophy Is Wasting Golden

Here’s where it gets controversial:

The Packers historically limit rookie production. Mike McCarthy did it. Matt LaFleur continues it. “It’s a questionable approach considering how many young receivers have been able to produce immediate impact.”

LaFleur’s defense? “Not many rookie players, especially first rounders, come into a situation where there’s a bunch of guys that have established themselves.”

But that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Packers KNEW they had Watson, Reed, Doubs, and Wicks when they drafted Golden. They KNEW he’d be the WR4 or WR5.

So why draft him in the FIRST ROUND?

If the plan was always to redshirt him in Year 1, why not draft a defensive player Green Bay desperately needed? Or trade back for more picks?

Instead, they spent Pick #23 on a receiver they have no intention of featuring until 2026.

The Contract That Makes This Even Worse

Golden signed his four-year rookie contract on May 19, 2025, worth $17.58 million fully guaranteed.

That’s $4.4 million per year for a player who:

• Has zero touchdowns
• Is the WR5 on the depth chart
• Won’t have a “premier role” in the playoffs
• Has played 13 games and barely contributed

The Packers are paying first-round money for fifth-string production.

Is Matthew Golden A Bust? Let’s Be Honest.

“Is Matthew Golden a bust? I am going to say no, he’s not necessarily a bust. He also ain’t Malik Nabers or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but we already knew that.”

That’s the most generous take you’ll find.

Here’s the harsher reality: Yes, right now, Matthew Golden looks like a bust.

He’s not a bust in the JaMarcus Russell sense. He’s not lazy or unprofessional. The talent is there.

But when you’re a first-round pick with zero touchdowns through 13 games, when your OC publicly says you won’t have a “premier role” in the playoffs, when third-round picks are outproducing you… what else do you call that?

What Went Wrong? The Factors Behind The Failure

1. Jordan Love missed him early Those Week 2 deep shots haunt this season. If Golden scores twice in that game, the entire narrative changes.

2. Crowded receiver room Watson, Reed, Doubs, Wicks, and Melton all ahead of him on the depth chart.

3. Injuries derailed momentum Shoulder and wrist injuries cost him three games and limited him in others.

4. Packers’ philosophy limits rookies Green Bay historically doesn’t feature first-year players, even first-rounders.

5. Limited volume in college Golden was never a volume guy at Texas, catching 3.6 passes on average in his final collegiate season.

6. The talent around him is just better (right now) Watson, Reed, and Doubs are proven NFL receivers. Golden hasn’t earned their trust yet.

The One Stat That Gives Hope: Zero Drops

Here’s the silver lining:

Golden has had ZERO drops this season (or close to it — stats vary slightly). When Love targets him, his passer rating is 96.3.

While Golden battled drop issues in the past, posting a 13.3% drop rate in 2023, he recorded just two drops in 2024 at Texas.

When he gets the ball, he catches it. The problem is he’s not getting enough opportunities.

The Bottom Line: Playoff Irrelevance For A First-Rounder

The Packers are heading into the playoffs with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. They have the 12-4 record. They have Jordan Love playing at an elite level. They have a defense that’s much-improved.

And their first-round pick will be watching from the sideline in a “non-premier role.”

That’s not development. That’s failure.

Matthew Golden isn’t a bust yet. But he’s one more disappointing season away from being labeled as such.

And when your OC publicly admits you won’t play a major role in the biggest games of the year? That’s not a vote of confidence.

That’s a death sentence for a first-round pick’s rookie season.

Do you think Golden can turn it around in Year 2, or is this a draft mistake the Packers will regret? Drop your thoughts below. 👇

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