On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers revealed the jersey numbers for their 2025 NFL Draft class, with the number assigned to wide receiver Matthew Golden sparking lively discussion among fans.
Golden wore the jersey with the No. 2 during his time at Texas. After being drafted, he was initially assigned No. 81 but later switched to No. 22, a less common choice for a wide receiver in the NFL.
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The Packers held their rookie availability on Friday, and during his conversation with reporters, Golden explained why he decided to switch to No. 22.
Matthew Golden speaks at a press conference after being selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“My grandma’s favorite number growing up was 2, and she told me she wanted me to represent that number,” Golden said. “I knew the last receiver drafted (by the Packers) was in 2002, so I felt like it made sense to me.”
According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, Golden said he didn’t ask Malik Willis for No. 2, despite wearing a No. 2 chain, because he views it as just a jersey number.
A reporter then asked Golden if he ever thought on draft night that he would wear number one.
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“I did,” he responded. “IÂ talked to the guy who gave me the numbers, and I asked him if I could get 22, and he said it was up for grabs.”
In a Thursday, April 24 interview on Andy & Ari On3 after the NFL Draft, Golden shared his plans for his money. “Definitely get my grandma a house, man,” he said. “We lost our property a couple of years ago. That’s somewhere I grew up when I was younger, and it would be a blessing to get that back for my family.”
Matthew Golden now looks to live the dream shared by countless young athletes—playing in the NFL. With that opportunity ahead, he’ll aim to make his family proud and contribute in multiple ways to help the Green Bay Packers make a successful Super Bowl run.
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