Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love dropped an interesting nugget about their offense during an appearance on NFL Network at training camp on Sunday. Discussing Green Bay’s group of pass catchers, he let slip that second-year receiver Matthew Golden is set to be the team’s X receiver in 2026.
Love said: “MG (is) locked in now over there at X, so I’m expecting big things. He’s had a great training camp so far and it’s all about just building on stuff from the year before.”
For anyone wondering why it matters, or how much, the answer is not straightforward.
Dusty Evely put together an informative thread on what being the X means in Green Bay’s passing attack. Essentially, it does not mean he will simply be lined up isolated on the boundary all game and asked to win.
That sentiment was echoed by head coach Matt LaFleur when he was asked about Love’s description of Golden’s role.
LaFleur explained: “It’s not that big of a deal (with) the way we can move guys around.
“We have different ways to manipulate the formations where let’s say we lined up in a bunch set and he’s the single receiver (X) on the open side, all you have to do is motion a tight end over there and now he essentially becomes the Z, so I don’t think (Love has) given a whole lot away.”
While it may not be a huge factor in how the offense operates, the confirmation of Golden’s spot within the offense is still interesting.
Romeo Doubs was the de facto X receiver for the Packers in recent years. At times, he was dubbed a ‘sacrificial X’ in that he was tasked with doing a lot of dirty work, drawing the attention of opponents’ top corners and allowing teammates to get more favorable looks.
That did not mean Doubs was purely a decoy though, as he found plenty of production, topping 800 yards in both 2023 and 2025.
With an X receiver traditionally profiling as a bigger, more physically dominant player, it would have some sense for Christian Watson to pivot to that spot from his previous work as a moveable Z.
Yet Green Bay is essentially handing Doubs’ job to Golden, which appears to indicate his standing within the offense increasing considerably in his second season.
He averaged around three targets per game as a rookie, with Doubs and Watson both commanding over 5.5 per contest. The prospect of Golden getting at least two more targets per game is an exciting one.
LaFleur alluded to the idea of more simplified roles for each receiver this year, which he hopes will lead to improved play from not only Golden but the entire receiving corps.
He said: “(It’s) always a challenge for younger players when they’re playing both X and Z, you’ve gotta flip your brain a little bit, so I think it’s allowed those guys to go out there and play fast.”
On Golden’s evolving role in year two, LaFleur said: “There were certain times where we were calling plays and you just never knew who was gonna be in the game.
“We did a lot of longer developing routes and sometimes those guys need a breather and then the next thing you know he’s not in the game and you’re calling a play for him, so I just think it was a matter of circumstance.”
He continued: “I do think (in terms of) the room as a whole, we had a lot of guys that we had a lot of confidence in, so it wasn’t like we were trying to necessarily feature or not feature (Golden) in that situation. I think with a less crowded room, it’s going to equal more opportunities.”
After being somewhat blocked in a bloated receiver room as a rookie, it will be on Golden to reward the coaches for the increased involvement he is expected to have in his second season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Jordan Love clarifies Matthew Golden’s new role in Packers offense
Reporting by Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire | USA TODAY Network
