For Matthew Golden, the story behind the number on his back is quite profound. After being drafted by the Packers, he received the No. 81 jersey. But the newest target for Jordan Love had other plans. Golden wore the No. 2 at Texas, and following that tradition, he requested the team to make a switch. Being the first wide receiver to be drafted by the team in the first round in 23 years also added another layer to this choice.

As Golden put it a few months ago, “My grandma, her favorite number was two growing up, and she told me she wanted me to represent that number. And so I knew the last receiver that was drafted (in the first round) was 2002, so I feel like it kind of made sense to me.” Since then, Golden has proudly displayed the number 22 on his back as a way to honor both his grandmother and the Packers bucking their tradition to draft him. But now, with just days to go before the season kicks off, he has changed it again.

Matthew Golden took to his X to share a single number. “0.” It started a landslide of speculations among the fans. More so, a tension. One comment read, “Please don’t change your number.” But then, just about an hour later, Adam Schefter confirmed it with his own post on X.

And to the dismay of many, it fits the branding. After all, he has ‘O regrets’ under his X bio. So, there’s a new agent 0 in Green Bay, and Golden becomes the first player in franchise history to wear this number on his back. 

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For Golden, switching to 0 seems a move of both personal significance and bold uniqueness. It’s his way to carve out a distinctive identity in the Packers’ lineage as well as within the league.

The reintroduction of 0 in the NFL is a recent development, rolled out in 2023 after being absent from the league for decades. This rare number, previously donned by legends like Jim Otto with his 00 in Oakland, represents a fresh canvas. One that comes with a high ceiling. So, the grind to make the ‘0 Regrets’ worthwhile should start.

Meanwhile, Golden’s new move also comes on the heels of the defensive disruptor Micah Parsons joining the Packers and carving out a unique identity for himself. Golden’s number may be the latest update. But Parsons has an equally impactful number on his back now.

Micah Parsons’ new identity in Green Bay

Micah Parsons’ new number also comes with a story that could have affected Matthew Golden. On Friday, August 29th, he took to his X handle to ask a question: “Should I go 0 or 1?” While it started a heated debate in the comments section, Parsons finally settled on wearing the No. 1. While Parsons wore the No. 11 for the Cowboys, Jayden Reed wears that same number for Green Bay, so that wasn’t in the cards. But Micah’s fresh start with the number 1 comes with a heavy legacy he must now shoulder.

Parsons now becomes the first player in Packers green to have the No. 1 on his back since Curly Lambeau. Lambeau was the founder of the Packers, the dominant halfback who helped the team score an NFL championship way back in 1929. He was also the head coach and general manager of the franchise from 1920 through to 1949, and won six championships. Parsons understands the weight of the ceiling set for him. As he noted after announcing his jersey number, “There is a lot of expectations and I’d be a fool to think there isn’t expectations or there isn’t pressure in the position that I’m stepping into. … But then again, that’s a blessing in itself. That means that they believed in me that much. – So that just alone shows me the type of person I need to be in this building every day and I’m very determined.”

There’s another interesting parallel here. When the Packers drafted Jayden Reed back in 2023, he had put in a request to wear the No. 1. But as sources at the time reported, “it wasn’t available.” Giving Parsons this number doesn’t just spark that old legacy of Curly Lambeau, it also speaks volumes to what Parsons brings to the team as a generational talent. For Green Bay, watching Matthew Golden and Micah Parsons step onto the field bearing their distinctive numbers is a sign of the team’s evolution. Together, they now have the chance to become living bridges between legacy and innovation that we will get to watch unfold this season with eager anticipation.