The Green Bay Packers’ pass catchers are always the subject of plenty of discussion regarding who is in fact the lead dog and who will lead the team in receiving in a given week.

First-round pick Matthew Golden’s arrival threw another variable into the mix, and led to plenty more speculation over whether he could take over the lion’s share of targets as a rookie, given his premium draft pedigree.

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It was a slow start for Golden, who was targeted just four times in the first two weeks and only had two catches, but his workload has started to grow in recent games.

His weekly statline to date:

Week 1 – 2 targets, 2 receptions, 16 yards

Week 2 – 2 targets, 0 receptions, 0 yards

Week 3 – 4 targets, 4 receptions, 52 yards

Week 4 – 6 targets, 5 receptions, 58 yards

Week 6 – 5 targets, 3 receptions, 86 yards

Golden’s uptick in offensive involvement is clear. He has also had four receptions of 30 or more yards in the last three games and has made clutch catches on third and fourth down of late.

So, is the plan to have Golden take on a starring role each week moving forward? Matt LaFleur was asked that very question after Sunday’s win over Cincinnati, and poured cold water on the idea that a more defined hierarchy at wide receiver could be coming.

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He told the assembled Green Bay media: “I mean, it just is what it is, guys. I know everybody wants us to force feed guys the ball, but it’s really not how we’ve done it around here and I don’t plan on changing that.”

LaFleur continued: “That’s the beauty of having a lot of guys that we have a lot of confidence in. A lot of it is dictated by the coverage, however teams are playing us, and the quarterback’s role is to make sure the ball’s going to the right place based on what the defense presents.”

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich joked earlier this week that he seems to get asked by the media on a weekly basis about getting a different pass catcher more opportunities.

It seems that the featured target or targets in a given week truly does depend on the gameplan and how the game unfolds. To give the team credit, they have effectively kept everyone involved across the course of a season, even if there is some fluctuation week to week.

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All of Green Bay’s pass catchers are worthy of being at least a No. 2 target in an NFL offense, and from looking at their usage, we can determine how often they are getting that kind of treatment within the Packers offense.

In 2024, the bar for a No. 2 target in an NFL offense was 5.77 targets and 44.5 yards.

Since the start of the 2023 season, here are the percentage of healthy games in which the Packers’ pass catchers have had a combination of at least five targets plus rush attempts, or 45 yards, or a touchdown:

Tucker Kraft – 68.75% (From week 11 of 2023 onwards when he became a starter)

Christian Watson – 65.38%

It is a small sample size for Golden, but as he is already up to 60% through five career games, it stands to reason he will at least get up to, or around the two-thirds range.

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On average, the Packers are supporting three pass catchers per game, with all three of them having at least the usage of a number two pass catcher. Because they are a high level offense which regularly racks up yards and puts up points, there is more production to go around.

Golden may have gained the trust of Jordan Love and the coaching staff, but there are still plenty of other pass catchers on this team who have earned their share of targets. The list above does not even include Luke Musgrave and Savion Williams, who have minor roles in the offense.

Once Christian Watson returns, and eventually Jayden Reed, there will be even more options for the Packers offense to get the ball to.

It is great for Green Bay that Golden has settled into life in the NFL quickly and is contributing weekly, but with so much competition for the football, it does not seem like he will be dominating targets for the rest of the season.

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This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers won’t ‘force feed’ Matthew Golden despite early success