Jordan Love, Packers Get Last-Minute Bad News vs Lions

By Matt Audilet

Contributing Sports Writer

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The NFL's Thanksgiving Day slate will kickoff with a highly-anticipated matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Packers first-round rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden carried a questionable designation leading up to this holiday matchup, dealing with a wrist injury. The starting pass catcher notched limited participation in each practice session this week, and took the field for pregame warmups at Ford Field on Thursday morning.

Just over an hour before kickoff, the Packers official ruled Golden out with his wrist injury.

Green Bay will also be without starting linebacker Quay Walker, who was ruled out with a neck issue.

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Golden joined the Packers as the team's No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 draft. The former Texas standout has appeared in nine games in his debut campaign, reeling in 24 catches for 286 yards. He's Love's third leading receiver on the season, trailing only WR Romeo Doubs and tight end Tucker Kraft — who's out for the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL tear in Week 9.

With Golden out, Love will lean on Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, Bo Melton and Will Sheppard as his wide receiver options. Despite the Packers opening his practice window to return from the injured reserve, 2024 leading WR Jayden Reed will not take the field against the Lions on Thursday.

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Thanksgiving Day's Green Bay-Detroit matchup holds some serious weight in the race for an NFC North title. The 7-3-1 Packers and 7-4 Lions are neck and neck behind the division-leading 8-3 Chicago Bears heading into the final stretch of the 2025 NFL season.

After Thursday afternoon's matchup between the Packers and Lions, the Thanksgiving Day schedule will continue with matchups between the Chiefs-Cowboys followed by the Bengals-Ravens.

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