Green Bay Packers: How Does Matthew Golden’s Rookie Contract Compare to Other 1st-Round Wide Receivers?

Matthew Golden Signs First NFL Contract with Green Bay Packers

When the Green Bay Packers selected Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, fans outside Lambeau Field rejoiced. Golden is a tremendous talent who immediately addresses a position of need for the Pack, one they have long neglected in terms of addressing it through the draft.

Instantly becoming a fan favorite, Golden has already signed his rookie contract with the Packers. The deal is worth $17.5 million over 4 years. Golden instantly brings home $9.4 million of it as a signing bonus. In terms of impact on Green Bay’s payroll, Golden has a first-year cap hit of just under $3.2 million, which increases by about $800,000 each year and ends at approximately $5.6 million in 2028.

It’s important to know that, for first-round picks, the entire contract is fully guaranteed. The total money is also predetermined by a formula associated with the NFL salary cap, meaning Golden would be signing for a 17.5 figure regardless.

The time it takes for players to sign their deal usually centers around the signing bonus. Golden’s signing bonus of $9.4 million is actually significantly higher than last year’s 23rd overall pick: Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr., an LSU product and a fellow wide receiver.

Thomas Jr. signed a deal worth $14.7 million, with a signing bonus of $7.4 million. The increase from that number to Golden’s 17.5 has to do with the salary cap increasing. Golden’s signing bonus is around the same percentage of the total worth of the deal.

How Does Matthew Golden’s Deal Stack Up Against Other First-Round Wideouts?

Arizona product Tetairoa McMillan, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers earlier in the month on May 8, obviously has a bigger deal for the simple of reason of being drafted 15 spots higher. Coming off the board at 8th overall, McMillan inked a 4-year deal worth just under $28 million in total.

McMillan’s signing bonus is worth almost as much as Golden’s entire deal. The Panthers wideout has already secured $16.95 million of his deal up front, in comparison to Golden’s total deal being worth $17.5.

A closer comparison for Golden is Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Emeka Egbuka. After being selected out of Ohio State at 19th overall, Egbuka signed his deal on May 9. His deal totals around $18.2 million, slightly more than Golden. Egbuka’s signing bonus is close to $10 million, only slightly higher than Golden’s.

If you’ve ever wondered why players sliding in the draft can be such a big deal, this is why: their resulting rookie contracts can look significantly different.