In the 1986 Action/Comedy “The Golden Child” Eddie Murphy stars as Chandler Jarrell, a Los Angeles social worker tasked to save “The Golden Child”, a kidnapped Tibetan boy with mystical powers, said to be the savior of all humankind. 

I don’t believe that Matthew Golden has any Tibetan in his bloodline, but he does seem to possess mystical powers, and for Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Packers fans around the world, he could be our savior. He could be, yes, “The Golden Child”. 

The Packers first round 1 wide receiver selected since Javon Walker in 2002, the hopes and expectations for Matthew Golden have been through the roof, virtually from the start. A stellar training camp, where the young wide receiver has seemingly caught everything thrown his way, including near-daily “wow” plays, has done little to stamp down that enthusiasm. Seemingly created in a laboratory, Golden possesses the “get open” ability of Wicks, the hands and contested catch skills of Doubs, the speed of Watson, and the shiftiness of Reed. Indeed, the praise has gotten out of hand (my go-to comp of late is to tell friends that Golden seems a little “Ja’Marr Chase-y” to me…Chase goes 6’0” 201lbs, and ran a 4.34 40 at the combine, Golden goes 5’11”, 191lbs, but ran a slightly faster 4.29). 

I can already hear Aaron Nagler and other, certainly more reasonable Packers fans groaning, “CAN WE NOT? Can we please let the kid play a single down of real football before we start fitting him for crowns?” And yes, that is certainly the reasonable and correct approach. But sorry, Aaron (and others), this article is not about reason. This article is about unbridled optimism. This article is about imagining what could be – and I think Matthew Golden could be the missing link that unlocks the full power and potential of this Green Bay Packers offense. 

For just a minute, let’s pretend that Golden is as good as we imagine. Strike that, imagine he’s even better than that. Imagine he’s Ja”Marr Chase-y. In that scenario, Golden is what I like to call a “multiplier” – it’s not just that he’s good, it’s that he makes almost everyone around him measurably better.

It starts, of course, with Jordan Love. In the NFL media world, plenty has been said and written about how Love is not, at least not yet, part of the NFL’s quarterback elite. But one thing Love has lacked in his brief two years at the helm is a truly elite pass catcher. When Favre took the reins in 1992, he had an in-his-prime Sterling Sharpe, now being fitted for a gold jacket. When Rodgers took over, he had the savvy Donald Driver and 3rd-year Greg Jennings. Love, by contrast, has had capable help from Watson, Doubs, Reed, and Wicks, but none of those developing players have (so far) elevated their game into “elite” status. 

At no time was Love’s predicament worse than last year’s Divisional Playoff game, when Love was without Watson, Doubs, and Reed, and was throwing critical 4th quarter playoff passes to Malik Heath – no disrespect to Heath. 

In Golden, Love could have His Guy. Montana had Rice, Manning had Harrison, Rodgers had Adams. Again, I can already hear the rational fans, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Slow down idiot/moron/[insert insult of your choosing]!!” Am I ahead of my skis here? Heck, I will willingly acknowledge, I’m not even in my skis. My boots have sprung free from the bindings and I am tumbling down the mountain. I can no longer see my skis. But again, that is what this exercise is – we’re imagining what could be. 

In this fantasy world, not only does Golden make Love better, but imagine what he does for the other receivers? Not only is the group’s competition level raised in practices and games, but Golden has the speed to really stress defenses. You can bet opposing coordinators will be shading safeties to Golden’s side of the field, attempting to guard against the deep ball. That predictable action will surely open up lanes underneath for the other pass catchers to feast. 

And what happens in week 5 or 6 when a healthy Watson joins the fray and we have Golden and Watson on the field at the same time? The speedy, Super Bowl-winning  “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams featured two incredible receivers, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, who ran 40 yard sprints of 4.48 and 4.38, respectively. Golden (4.29) and Watson (4.36) are even faster. If we want to examine a more current comparison, Tyreek Hill (4.29) and Jaylen Waddle (4.37), widely considered the league’s fastest receiving duo, ran almost identical times to Golden/Watson. 

As they say, “speed kills”, and with defenses back on their heels, worried about the long ball, imagine, also, the Mack Truck-sized lanes opening up for Josh Jacobs and the Packers already-potent run game. It’s thrilling. Once again, Golden is the multiplier. He is the Tibetan boy with mystical powers. He is our savior. He is The Golden Child. Go Pack go.