First-round rookie Packers learns from his first big NFL mistake
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Green Bay, September 26, 2025
The Green Bay Packers had high hopes for rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden, but even their first-round gem stumbled in the team’s 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Despite a strong showing with four catches for 52 yards, Golden’s critical mistake left a mark on an otherwise promising day.
With 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, facing third-and-8 from their own 4-yard line and clinging to a 10-0 lead, Golden broke free behind the Browns’ defense. Catching the ball in stride, he could have raced for a 96-yard touchdown but stepped out of bounds at the 38, mistaking the safety’s proximity.
“I want that play back,” Golden admitted Wednesday, per SI’s Bill Huber. “I thought the safety was closer, and my momentum carried me out. Knowing now he wasn’t that close, I could’ve stayed in bounds.” The error, part of a 43-second span of miscues, cost Green Bay a chance at a commanding lead.
Golden’s misplayed punt and missed block in that sequence led to a punt, a Browns field goal, and a Jordan Love interception that tied the game at 10-10. The rookie’s gaffe fueled frustration among fantasy football and betting fans, but he remains his own toughest critic.
“I’m hard on myself because I know what I’m capable of,” Golden said. “That could’ve been a huge play, but I’ll get more chances.” With six catches for 68 yards in his first two games, the first Packers first-round receiver since Javon Walker in 2002 is poised for redemption.
With Jayden Reed sidelined by a collarbone injury, Golden faces a golden opportunity against the Cowboys’ porous defense in Week 4. Can the rookie turn his regret into a breakout moment? Packers Nation is watching closely.
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