Matt LaFleur champions Green Bay Packers' rookie receiver Matthew Golden, citing his mental and physical toughness despite early-season injuries and limited production.
It would be really easy to call Matthew Golden a bust. That's how the "hot take" sports culture works, after all, and the Green Bay Packers haven't yet gotten much return on the investment they made in the speedy wide receiver out of Texas.
Throw in the fact that Golden is the first wide receiver the Packers have selected in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002 and you could see why there may be on some pressure for head coach Matt LaFleur to get the rookie to perform at a higher level.
As LaFleur tells it, though, you get the sense that there absolutely is no pressure for Golden over the rest of this 2025 season. Part of that is because he's been dealing with injuries. Golden has played in just nine games this season because of injuries to his shoulder and wrist that have kept him out.
When he has seen the field, he has made some big plays for the Packers, but he's only caught 24 passes for 286 yards and he hasn't caught a touchdown.
Again, that could lead to pressure, but LaFleur believes the No. 23 overall pick in this past draft is built to deal with that pressure.
"I think his ability to be tough minded, mentally and physically tough, will allow him to overcome any challenges or adversity he will face," LaFleur said of Golden on Monday, according to Zach Kruse of PackersWire.
LaFleur clearly has belief in Golden and the Packers wouldn't have taken him in the first round if they didn't believe he could be a star.
We've seen flashes of it, too, this season. He's a good route runner, he has excellent speed and he's got sure hands. His health issues have made it hard for him to get a footing in what was already a crowded wide receiver room before the Packers went out and drafted him.
Any wide receiver who can make catches like this, though, will find a place in the NFL:
Does Golden have potential to be a star for the Packers? Yes, absolutely. Will he ever reach that potential? That's a question that will take a few years to answer.
And yes, it's a bit frustrating when you see the seasons that fellow rookies Tetairoa McMillan (57 catches for 826 yards and six touchdowns) and Emeka Egbuka (52 catches for 791 yards and six touchdowns) are having, but if we're frustrated, just imagine how Golden himself feels.
LaFleur did say that Golden could potentially return this Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Until he does get back on the field, though, he'll have to practice his ability to emotionally overcome adversity.
Hopefully, sooner rather than later, he'll physically overcome it as well by finding the end zone a few times in his rookie season.