Packers' Matthew Golden Had Sweet Reason for Choosing Untraditional Jersey Number

Green Bay's first-round pick has chosen an unexpected jersey number.

Matthew Golden speaks in a press conference after being selected by the Green Bay Packers as the number 23 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden is bucking the trend when it comes to his NFL jersey number. Golden has chosen to wear the No. 22, a number that is not typically worn by wide receivers.

Before the NFL rules changed in 2021, allowing most positions to choose from a greater amount of jersey numbers, receivers were only allowed to wear numbers 10 to 19 or 80 to 89. Jerseys numbered 20 to 49 were reserved for defensive backs, running backs, and fullbacks.

Since the rule changes, receivers that don't opt for a traditional number between 10-19 or 80-89 typically go for a number from 0-9. Taking on a number in the 20s is uncommon for a receiver and particularly a first-round pick.

Golden explained on Friday as the Packers' rookie minicamp got underway that he chose the number in honor of his grandma, who he referred to as his "best friend." He briefly had a No. 81 jersey right after he was drafted, but shifted to No. 22 once he learned the number was available.

"My grandma, her favorite number was two growing up," Golden told reporters. "She told me she wanted to represent that number. I knew the last receiver that was drafted [by the Packers in the first round] was 2002, so I feel like it kind of made sense."

Matthew Golden explains how his grandma, his “best friend,” influenced him to wear No. 22. He said he didn’t ask Malik Willis for No. 2 (despite his No. 2 chain) because it’s just a jersey number. pic.twitter.com/6zvTrZCfae

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 2, 2025

Though his grandma's favorite number is two and he wore a No. 2 jersey at Texas, that number wasn't available since Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis wears it. Golden didn't ask Willis about wearing No. 2, and instead shifted to No. 22, a nod to both his grandma and his new team.

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