Latest news with #MatthewGolden
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers expected to sign rookie WR Sam Brown Jr.
Packers expected to sign rookie WR Sam Brown Jr. The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign rookie wide receiver Sam Brown Jr., who went undrafted out of Miami and was a former teammate of Matthew Golden in Houston, per NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. The Packers roster is currently at capacity, so a corresponding move is required. Brown played two seasons at West Virginia (2020-21), two seasons at Houston (2022-23) and his final season at Miami (2024). He played with Golden during both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2023, Brown led Houston with 62 catches for 815 yards, and he was named a honorable mention All-Big 12 pick. Last season, Brown caught 36 passes for 509 yards and three scores across 12 games for Miami. His final collegiate stats: 43 games, 149 catches, 1,903 yards and nine touchdowns. Brown (6-2, 200) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds (1.51-second 10-yard split) and hit 41.5" in the vertical leap at the NFL Scouting Combine. Despite some collegiate production and two solid athletic testing measures, Brown wasn't drafted and hasn't signed with an NFL team before now. Lance Zierlein's scouting report: "Brown played at three schools over five seasons but failed to produce at a standout level. Frankly, there are more flashes on Brown's 2023 tape at Houston than there were on his Miami tape from 2024. He lacked creativity to beat press and struggled to finish plays as a deep option in both seasons. He has some instincts in space and flashes route-running potential, but it's hard to find enough consistent tape to make a clear projection of what he could provide as a pro." According to Pro Football Focus, Brown averaged only 1.64 yards per route run and caught 18 of a possible 41 contested catches over his collegiate career. His drop rate was 7.5 percent. Over his final two seasons, Brown forced 31 missed tackles after the catch. Over 91 percent of his career snaps came on the outside, meaning he has little experience in the slot. Despite having terrific speed, Brown caught only one of eight pass targets thrown over 20 yards in the air last season at Miami and has a low career catch percentage on deep throws. The Packers' wide receiver room currently consists of Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Malik Heath, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, Christian Watson (injured), Mecole Hardman, Julian Hicks, Corneilus Johnson and Jadon Janke. Janke was added most recently, and he was in the injured/rehab group during Wednesday's OTA session open to the media.
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Packers WR Jayden Reed clarifies report about role: ‘A lot of people misinterpreted that'
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed knew what reporters wanted to ask even before fielding his first question of the offseason. 'Y'all been waiting to hear from me, huh?' Reed said as he walked in front of microphones at Lambeau Field after Wednesday's OTA practice. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that in early May, Reed's new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with general manager Brian Gutekunst to clarify Reed's role after the Packers drafted wide receivers Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third. Schefter reported that the Packers informed Rosenhaus that those draft picks wouldn't affect Reed's status as their top receiver. The question lingered whether Reed was unsettled after the draft and wanted reassurance about his depth chart standing or if Rosenhaus had spoken with Gutekunst on his own. 'A lot of people misinterpreted that,' Reed said. 'I hired a new agent and we talked about it before even the draft, really, that he said he was going to talk to the front office and everybody here to just catch up and make sure everybody's on the same page. As a new client, he told me that's the way he was going to do it and he did it. Now, I don't know how it got out because it was supposed to be confidential, but that's how it goes sometimes. People get a different perception. They make their own perception, which is OK. That's how it goes sometimes.' Jayden Reed says 'a lot of people misinterpreted' the ESPN report that his new agent Drew Rosenhaus clarified with Brian Gutekunst that Reed is Green Bay's top receiver. Reed's view of the situation: — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 28, 2025 We never truly know what players are feeling, but it doesn't sound like Reed is too perturbed at the arrival of multiple rookie receivers. After all, it was sensible for the Packers to draft a couple given the ACL injury to Christian Watson and the fact that Green Bay's top four receivers are set for unrestricted free agency over the next two offseasons, and the team may lose more than one of them. Advertisement 'In our exit meeting … that's what they talked to me about, was just being more of a leader, being more vocal,' Reed said. 'That's what I'm trying to do because I've been in their position as well. It's not easy to learn plays and it's a lot of chaos as a rookie. (Golden) has been doing a phenomenal job. He's picked it up probably faster than I did, so I commend him on that, and Savion as well. They're always around. I tried to stick around in the huddle to make sure they're good. They've been doing a great job.' Passing game coordinator Jason Vrable and head coach Matt LaFleur say Reed's actions in practice match his words. 'I think the biggest growth, too, is the way his leadership's been right now,' Vrable said of Reed. 'I really want to commend him because he's standing behind Matthew Golden right now, helping him out with every single play.' 'He's been outstanding,' LaFleur said of Reed. 'I've been really impressed with our veterans taking these guys under their wings and kind of showing them the way and really helping them.' Jordan Love to Matthew Golden — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 28, 2025 Reed, a 2023 second-round pick, is probably the most talented all-around receiver on the roster. After catching 55 passes for 857 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie to go along with 8.2 yards per carry and a touchdown on 20 rushes, he finished sixth in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. In 2024, he hauled in 64 passes for 793 yards and eight touchdowns with 10.8 yards per rush and two touchdowns on 11 carries. However, Reed finished tied for fifth in the NFL with 10 drops last season, according to TruMedia. He only caught more than three passes once in the final eight games of the regular season after doing so six times in the first nine contests. After posting three games of at least 113 receiving yards in the first nine games, Reed's single-game receiving high in the final eight games was 76 yards before catching four passes for 46 yards in a wild-card round loss to the Eagles. Reed has the talent to be Green Bay's true No. 1 receiver, even if Gutekunst's confirmation to Rosenahus was simply to appease, but he must be more consistent. Advertisement 'Drops was a problem for me last year,' Reed said. 'I've been on the JUGS machine every day this offseason. Obviously, that will help.' Reed spent the entire offseason training with teammate Dontayvion Wicks in Florida. Reed said Wicks, a fellow 2023 draft pick at receiver, is a 'great separator' because of his twitch, timing and tempo. Training with Wicks allows Reed to better implement those strengths into his own game. Fellow wideout Romeo Doubs trained with them in Florida, too, and Doubs was present at voluntary practice on Wednesday, along with the fourth receiver on the team approaching a notable contract discussion, Watson. Watson tore his ACL in Week 18 against the Bears. Watson's father said on social media that his son should return around Week 12. Gutekunst said at the combine in February that the Packers expect Watson back around the midway point of the season. On Wednesday, Watson stretched with the team and was seen jogging inside the Don Hutson Center, though he rehabbed off to the side once practice began outdoors. Nonetheless, his recovery seems to be charging full steam ahead. 'Christian's doing outstanding,' LaFleur said. 'I would say he's ahead of schedule, but again, I'm not a doctor. I'm not medical staff, so we'll see where he's at.' Christian Watson stretching and jogging here at OTAs. He tore his ACL in Week 18. Gutekunst said in February he's expected to return around the midway point of the season. — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 28, 2025 At some point this season, the Packers hope to have all six receivers — Reed, Watson, Doubs, Wicks, Golden and Williams — healthy. Four of those players want to get paid in the near future. One of them is a first-round pick who will certainly see the ball. The other is an intriguing third-round chess piece that coaches sound enamored with, too. Advertisement With only so many targets to go around, is putting egos aside as easy as players and coaches make it sound? Or have feathers been ruffled and will there be unhealthy tension seeping from the room? 'I think they're doing great right now,' quarterback Jordan Love said of the wide receiver room. 'They're all here. They've been working really hard, but I think any time you draft guys in your room, that's the nature of it, to feel that way … At the end of the day, there's always going to be competition. I don't think any of those guys are shying away from competition. They all want to be the best and be out there on the field. The vibes are good right now.'
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Packers rookie Matthew Golden has made a shining first impression on Jordan Love
APPLETON, Wis. — Jordan Love wasn't just wrong. 'I was very wrong,' the Packers quarterback says now. Before the Super Bowl earlier this year, Love made a prediction with 'Up and Adams' host Kay Adams on Radio Row in New Orleans. 'Knowing the Green Bay Packers, I think we're gonna go defense,' Love said of the team's upcoming first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Advertisement The Packers didn't use their first-round pick on a defensive player. Instead, they broke the franchise's 22-year streak of not taking a wide receiver in the first round and selected Texas wideout Matthew Golden. 'I'm glad to be wrong,' Love said Friday at his charity softball game in his first comments about Golden since the draft. Jordan Love to @heykayadams on the Packers first-round pick: 'Knowing the Green Bay Packers, I think we're gonna go defense.' — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 7, 2025 Golden was one of the marquee names in attendance, along with head coach Matt LaFleur, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Love, tight end Tucker Kraft and backup quarterback Malik Willis. Among players, Golden probably received the second-loudest ovation from the packed house behind his starting quarterback. 'It was a great time just to be able to get in front of the fans, first time showing my face in Green Bay,' Golden said. 'So it was definitely fun and exciting to be here.' Golden's answer when asked why he volunteered to play in Love's charity game shows that the Packers' potential top QB-WR tandem of the future is off to a good start. 'You always gotta be there for your quarterback,' Golden said. Not just on the softball field, but on the football field, too. That's where the Packers will rely on the No. 23 pick to catch the ball as well as he did in college for a Packers team that struggled to do so last season. And to run past defensive backs like his sub-4.3 speed indicates he can. Love and Golden only met in person recently, as veterans and rookies didn't report to Lambeau Field at the same time this offseason, but Love has been impressed with his new flashy weapon so far. 'He's a great dude,' Love said. 'I'm excited to see just his potential on the football field. But just the start we've had, doing routes on air and things like that, he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver, so I'm excited to see just how far he can take it.' First time Jordan Love has discussed Matthew Golden since the draft: 'Just the start we've had … he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver.' — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 24, 2025 LaFleur FaceTimed his starting quarterback the night Green Bay drafted Golden. 'You always want to kind of connect with the quarterback when you give him some pieces, so I Facetimed him and he's like, 'Man, sub-4.3 … I gotta get that arm loose,' ' LaFleur said. 'So he can roll, and I said, 'Hey, man, you're just going to have to get that ball up on time and out early.' ' Advertisement Love said he immediately watched Golden's college highlights, perhaps daydreaming about how he could get Golden the ball in the NFL. 'The speed speaks for itself. Running a 40-yard dash, any time you get a 4.2, that's some blazing speed right there, so I'm excited to see how fast he is on the field,' Love said. 'I've seen all the highlights, all the good stuff, so we'll see once we get practice rolling and everything how good he is.' Matthew Golden: 'Starting to realize Green Bay not too big, so a lot of people gonna recognize me. But it's a blessing just to be able to be around people that care about you … for me it's just being able to show my face and show that I love being here.' — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 24, 2025 The Packers' first full-team OTA practice open to the media is Wednesday. Wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are still on the team and expected to contribute significantly this coming season. But all eyes will be on No. 22 as he catches what fans hope is the first of many passes from Love. That's the territory that comes with being the organization's first wide receiver drafted in the first round since 2002. While Love and Golden aren't best friends just yet, Golden said the two are going to hang out outside of football and get to know each other better. Showing up in support of Love's foundation might just be a small gesture by the rookie, but it's a promising sign that Golden will be ready to deliver when Love needs him on the field, too. 'Just gain his trust, man,' Golden said of developing a relationship with Love. 'That's from me just being able to put my best foot forward every day. Just go out there and create that chemistry with him.' (Photo of Matthew Golden: Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press)
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers Make Major Matthew Golden Announcement
The Green Bay Packers and receiver Matthew Golden have agreed to terms on the former Texas Longhorn standout's rookie deal. "The Green Bay Packers signed WR Matthew Golden," the team wrote Monday on its website. "The move was announced Monday by General Manager Brian Gutekunst." Advertisement According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Golden, the No. 23 overall pick of last month's 2025 NFL Draft, will make $17.58 million fully guaranteed over four seasons. After transferring from Houston, Golden pulled in 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns for the Longhorns last season. He plans on buying his grandmother a house as his first purchase as a professional. 'That's the house I grew up in when I was younger,' Golden said. 'Just knowing that I'm in the position to be able to get that back for all my family – my little cousins that grew up there – just for everybody to go back home, just feel that energy.' Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden is selected by the Green Bay Packers as the number 23 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Packers had gone 23 years without taking a receiver in the first round of the draft, and they're hoping Golden's blazing speed — his 40-yard dash was the fastest of any wideout at the NFL Scouting Combine in February — provides another threat for quarterback Jordan Love. Advertisement Jayden Reed led Green Bay with 857 receiving yards a season ago, with tight end Tucker Kraft (707) and Christian Watson (620) trailing. By adding Matthew Golden, head coach Matt LeFleur and Gutekunst further showed they're investing in Love's future with the team. They signed Love to an expensive contract extension before last season. Related: Matthew Golden Ends 22-Year Drought For Historic NFL Franchise
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers veteran WRs embracing opportunities to teach rookies Matthew Golden, Savion Williams
Packers veteran WRs embracing opportunities to teach rookies Matthew Golden, Savion Williams Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur is seeing his veterans in the wide receiver room "embrace" the addition of two top draft picks at the position to start the offseason workout program. Veterans such as Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed are helping teach first-rounder Matthew Golden and third-rounder Savion Williams the important details of the position early on in the process. "I think we have a very, very competitive receiver room. I think it's as deep as anybody in the league. I love how our guys go out there and compete and push each other," LaFleur told Kay Adams of "Up and Adams Show." "It's been pretty cool to watch the veterans, although there's a first-rounder coming into the room, a third-rounder coming into the room, just how they've embraced those guys and taken them in. They are coaching them up on the field." Wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey recently shared a moment where Reed was helping teach Golden after a drill. LaFleur caught another teaching moment from Doubs, who talked with Golden about a route during the offseason program. "We were out there earlier today, and I went over to tell Matthew something about one of his routes, and I was just about to start talking, and Romeo Doubs grabbed him and started talking," LaFleur said. LaFleur loved the chance to defer the teaching responsibility to a veteran player at a position where big investments were made. The Packers are returning Doubs, who has 12 touchdown catches over the last two seasons but is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and Reed, who led the team in receiving each of the last two years. Also returning is Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath, and Christian Watson will eventually return from an ACL injury suffered in January. The Packers are young at receiver but not inexperienced -- Doubs, Reed, Wicks, Melton, Heath and Watson have all played a lot of football for LaFleur in recent years. Helping Golden and Williams along as rookies will help uphold the standard in the receiver room and continue building leadership on the team overall. "That's a pretty cool thing. That's something we're stressing with our team," LaFleur said. "It's important to develop the leadership that is needed that when you get into those tough division games or playoff games you have a player-led team that can get you through those moments." Here's the full video from LaFleur's appearance on the "Up and Adams Show": Packers first-round pick Matthew Golden Packers third-round pick Savion Williams
