The Green Bay Packers started the season on the wrong foot after they fell short to the Philadelphia Eagles, 29-34. Narratives surrounding the loss show the positives of the team’s improvement over the offseason and the issues the team has to work on.
The offensive line’s performance is one thing to get excited about as they only allowed Jordan Love to be sacked once. However, his injury would also see him out of the squad for the foreseeable future. His absence will be greatly felt as Matt LaFleur would have to make do with his reserves to see the Packers through until their star signal caller returns.
There’s also one plot point worth noticing after Week 1: the position battle at tight end has taken a surprising turn.
The Green Bay front office believed that Luke Musgrave was going to be the team’s long-term solution at tight end when they selected him in the second round of last year’s draft. However, his snap count in the season opener points to a murky future regarding his long-term future with the team.
Luke Musgrave’s fewer snaps in Week 1 point to a possible exit from the Green Bay Packers
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Lombardi Ave’s Freddie Boston noted that the Oregon State product is losing his position to Tucker Kraft, another TE taken a round after him:
In a wild season opener, one of the biggest surprises was the Packers’ usage of their tight ends. Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Kraft played 64 offensive snaps compared to just 17 for Musgrave. That’s a significant gap. Kraft also played 16 special teams snaps, while Musgrave had zero.
It’s telling. While Musgrave’s athleticism and speed give him potential as a pass catcher, Kraft has shown more as an all-around tight end. He adds yards after the catch and has improved as a blocker. Musgrave still has a long way to go.
Musgrave and Kraft produced similar numbers in their rookie campaign. Musgrave started in nine of his 11 games, notching 352 receiving yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Kraft caught for 355 yards and two TDs in 17 games and eight starts.
Of course, neither have done enough to convince LaFleur that they’re the best option at TE. The front office could still choose a talented athlete to take their spot in next year’s draft. However, it’s clear to everyone that Luke Musgrave’s future as an NFL starter is in great jeopardy.
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