Packers Rookie WR Drops 1-Word Message After Number Change

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Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden.

Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden is officially making a change in his jersey number before the start of the 2025 regular season.

On Saturday, the Packers announced that Golden will now wear No. 0 on his jersey instead of the No. 22 that he wore throughout the duration of training camp and the 2025 preseason, becoming the first player in team history to wear the number.

Golden also confirmed the jersey change on social media with a simple, one-word — or, rather, one-number — message on X, triggering viral celebration from Packers fans.

Golden has now changed his jersey number three times before playing in his first NFL game. The team originally assigned him No. 81, but he changed it to No. 22 shortly after as a tribute to his grandmother. He explained that his grandmother’s favorite was No. 2, but since Malik Willis owned that number with the Packers, he doubled it with No. 22.

“She told me she wanted me to represent that number,” Golden said in May. “I knew that last [first-round] receiver that was drafted was 2002, so it made sense to me.”

Instead, Golden will forge a new path as the first-ever Packer to wear the No. 0 when he takes the field with the rest of his teammates next week for the first game of his career. The Packers will host the Detroit Lions at 4:25 p.m. ET next Sunday, September 7.

Matthew Golden Also Bought a House for Grandma

Golden might no longer be representing the ‘double 2’ on his jersey, but he has found other ways to honor his grandmother since arriving in the NFL as a first-round pick.

According to an August 11 press release from REMAX, Golden worked with affiliate Nimesh Patel to buy his grandmother, Penny, a new home in Texas, putting some of his NFL signing bonus toward the purchase, as he said he planned to do before the draft.

Golden signed a four-year, $17.57 million rookie contract with the Packers after they took him No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft this past spring. He received a signing bonus of roughly $9.42 million, according to Over the Cap.

“It was such a blessing to work with REMAX and Nimesh to help me achieve this goal. My grandmother has done so much for me, and I’m humbled to be able to give back to her in this way,” Golden said in a press release from REMAX. “While we weren’t able to purchase our family home, we’ve found a house in an area that’s also meaningful to me. Home is where my family is and I’m excited for us to enjoy many meals, holidays and football watch parties together.”

Will Matthew Golden Ascend to Packers’ WR1 in 2025?

Regardless of jersey number, Golden has an opportunity to become a breakout star for the Packers right away if he delivers on his first-round potential as an NFL rookie.

The Packers have a deep receiver room that includes Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks — along with Christian Watson, once he returns from the PUP list — but they have not seen a consistent No. 1 passing target emerge from the bunch in the past two seasons. In part, that’s why the team targeted Golden so high in April’s draft.

Golden has blazing-fast speed that he put on display at the NFL Combine, clocking the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.29 seconds) among receivers and the second-fastest time among all prospects in the 2025 draft class. He also had adept route-running and ball-tracking ability that led to 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns at Texas in 2024.

While the Packers are still likely to spread the ball around in the passing game, Golden is in line to see targets early and often because of his high-end potential. And if he can make the most of those opportunities and gradually prove to quarterback Jordan Love and coach Matt LaFleur that he can be their go-to guy, then No. 1 may be in his future.

Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson