Matthew Golden turns $9.4 million NFL payday into heartfelt homecoming for his Grandma

For most NFL rookies, a first-round signing bonus means sports cars, luxury vacations, or maybe a designer wardrobe. For Matthew Golden, it meant just keeping a promise he’d been holding onto since childhood.

The Green Bay Packers’ newest first-round pick didn’t just see his $9.42 million signing bonus as a personal milestone. However, he saw it as the key to giving his grandmother the home she deserved. And that’s exactly what he did.

Matthew Golden’s life-changing rookie contract

Golden made history as the first wide receiver drafted by the Packers in the first round since 2002, landing a four-year, $17.5 million fully guaranteed rookie deal. But when asked what he’d buy first, his answer came without hesitation: “Definitely get my grandma a house,” he said.

“We lost our property a couple years ago and it would be a blessing to be able to get that back for my family.”

That property wasn’t just a place because it was the heart of his childhood. Losing it left a hole that Golden had long hoped to fill. His path to the NFL had been anything but smooth. Growing up without a stable home at times, he carried the weight of uncertainty at a young age. “It was hard just growing up, the times I was without a home, being a young kid, not really understanding why we were in that situation, but I feel like God put us through that for a reason,” he reflected.

“I always look back at that. That’s what keeps me going as a man. Right then and there, that’s what everything started from.”

From dream to reality for Grandma

Golden’s original plan was to restore the family’s old home, but it was too far gone for repair costs were overwhelming. So, he teamed up with real estate company REMAX to find something brand new and perfect for his grandmother. His mission was to give her a safe, beautiful space with everything she had dreamed of.

It starts right down to a kitchen island and a walk-in closet.The search led to a moment straight out of a family movie. Golden surprised her with the keys, walking her up to the front door of her new home. The reaction was instant, as tears rolled down, hugs, and an embrace that said more than words ever could. “I love you so much,” she told him. “I love you too,” Golden replied.REMAX even added a personal touch by gifting her a custom illustration of the family’s old home, letting her carry those cherished memories into this new chapter.

Now, Matthew Golden is back on the gridiron

With his grandmother’s future secure, Golden can now zero in on the challenge ahead: living up to the hype as the Packers’ first first-round wide receiver in 23 years. The team is counting on him to become a go-to target for quarterback Jordan Love, potentially stepping right into the WR1 role.From the instability of his youth to the emotional full-circle moment of handing his grandmother a new home, he’s already shown he can rise to any occasion. Now, he’s ready to bring that same determination to Lambeau Field.Also read: Foot trouble forces Packers’ $7M receiver to leave practice, Matt LaFleur blames cleats; Kayvon trade talk follows