Packers’ Matthew Golden dominating rookie WR efficiency stats
The Green Bay Packers selected wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, with many expecting him to be a game-changing talent downfield.
That has yet to happen weeks into the 2025 campaign. At the same time, it’s still too early to judge Golden, who is a tantalizing player who could just be waiting for the Packers to unlock his true potential.
Packers WR Golden’s efficiency setting him apart from other rookie wide receivers
The breakout performance many have been waiting for has yet to happen for Golden. After three consecutive weeks of gradually improving his receiving numbers, the former Texas Longhorns star took a step back in Week 7’s meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, as he came away with just 37 receiving yards, though he only saw four targets and secured them all.
On the season, Golden only has 249 receiving yards with zero touchdowns on 18 receptions and 23 targets through six games.
While he’s lagging behind other rookie wide receivers in terms of raw numbers, Golden is leading all first-year wideouts in 2025 when it comes to at least three areas.
Via Zach Kruse of the Packers Wire:
Packers WR Matthew Golden has a 60.9% success rate and 78.3% catch rate, and he is averaging 10.8 yards per target. All first among rookie WRs with at least 15 targets.
Many have called for Packers head coach Matt LaFleur to get Golden a healthier diet of targets, but so far, the rookie is averaging 3.83 targets per contest. For comparison, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has gotten 7.71 targets per contest through seven weeks.
Red Sox's Expectations For Trevor Story's Opt-Out Decision Revealed
The entire left side of the Boston Red Sox's infield is in flux.
Third baseman Alex Bregman has already reportedly decided to opt out, which leaves uncertainty about whether the club can re-sign the three-time All-Star, But shortstop Trevor Story also has an opt-out available, and after a bounce-back season, it's no guarantee he sticks around, either.
Of course, before the season began, Story probably never would have dreamed of walking away from the two years and $55 million he's still guaranteed if he opts in. Where do things stand now, though?
Insider's report on Red Sox's Story expectations
On Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that at last check-in, the Red Sox expected Story to opt in for 2026 and 2027.
"As of mid-September, Red Sox decision-makers expected Story, who has two years and $55 million left on his contract, to opt in," Cotillo wrote. "There’s a chance he’d make more than that on the open market but there’s also a feeling that he feels loyalty — and appreciation — toward the Red Sox after missing most of the first three years of the deal.
"If he opts in, expect him back at shortstop, barring a surprising move (an out-of-nowhere Bo Bichette pursuit?) that would move Story to second base, where he played in 2022. The Red Sox can also void Story’s opt-out by tacking on an extra year to his deal."
Of course, it's worth mentioning that in September and the two days they played in October, Story carried the Red Sox's offense. He batted .302 with a .795 OPS in his last 23 games of the regular season, then went 5-for-13 (.385) with a home run in the wild-card series.
Story had a season that surpassed almost all expectations, but that's mostly due to the fact that he stayed healthy -- no small feat, but not indicative of elite production. His defense slumped as the season drew to a close, and he finished with 3.0 fWAR -- 16th out of 20 shortstops that had at least 500 plate appearances.
None of that is meant to suggest that the Red Sox shouldn't want Story back, but it definitely supports the notion that he would opt in, considering there aren't too many obvious free-agent fits for a 33-year-old shortstop, anyway.
