Report: Green Bay Packers, Matthew Golden agree to four-year, $17.58 million rookie contract

The Green Bay Packers have signed first-round pick Matthew Golden to his rookie contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His figures total $17.58 million fully-guaranteed across four seasons.

Golden was selected No. 23 overall by the Packers in last month’s 2025 NFL Draft. Before turning pro, Golden was a standout wide receiver for both Houston and Texas.

The Packers’ selection of Golden ended a 23-year run of Green Bay bypassing receiving talent in the first round of the NFL Draft. Fans in Green Bay, where the 2025 NFL Draft was hosted, appeared to be pleased by the selection. Golden even fired up the cheeseheads on-hand at the event on stage after his selection.

Now that Golden is signed — he already knows what one of his first purchases will be. He’s going to buy a house for his grandmother. However, not just any house.

“That’s the house I grew up in when I was younger,” Golden said. “Just knowing that I’m in the position to be able to get that back for all my family – my little cousins that grew up there – just for everybody to go back home, just feel that energy.”

The home was taken from Golden’s family a few years back. He revealed to media prior to the draft that the house was on the market at the time, and his intention is to buy it back for her.

Now signed with the Packers, it marks the first time that the Houston native hasn’t played football close to home in his career. He opted to play for his hometown Cougars for the first two seasons of his college career before transferring to Texas as a junior in 2024.

Golden would go on to lead the Longhorns with 987 receiving yards to go with nine touchdowns. He helped lead a high-powered Texas offense to the national semifinal in the College Football Playoffs.

After a breakout season on the Forty Acres, the 21-year-old standout performer opted to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, and would go on to make Packers history. He would eventually be the third wide receiver taken off the board in the first round behind both Tetairoa McMillan (8) and Emeka Egbuka (19).

Golden will get a chance to prove he’s worth the check on the practice field as the Packers are set to conduct OTAs between May 27-June 5. After that, mandatory minicamp is slated for June 10-12.