The Green Bay Packers had an all-around depressing outing on Sunday afternoon. An ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers was made worse by star tight end and fan-favorite Tucker Kraft going down with a season-ending ACL injury. As much as the poor performance dimmed the light on the team’s Super Bowl aspirations, the loss of Kraft means that the Packers must continue on without one of their best players. What does the injury do to the team’s championship hopes?

Green Bay Packers Lose Tucker Kraft for Season

Tight end Tucker Kraft was in the middle of a career year for the Green Bay Packers before his knee buckled on Sunday. He exited the game against the Carolina Panthers, one that the team went on to lose, and later received the news that his ACL was torn – he had played his last snap for this season.

Kraft was on pace for a 1,000-yard season and had already hauled in 6 touchdowns in eight games played. He still leads all tight ends in yards after catch with 344 and total EPA (estimated points added) with 49.49. In Sunday’s contest, he had 2 catches for 20 yards prior to exiting the game.

If Kraft had continued to play well throughout the rest of the season, he would likely be in line for Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Instead, quarterback Jordan Love‘s most reliable target is now going to be on the shelf for the rest of season.

Can the Packers Still Make a Deep Playoff Run Without Kraft?

It’s a tough question to ask, but one that Packers fans are grappling with in the aftermath of a bleak afternoon. Undeniably, the Super Bowl chances took a dramatic hit. Any time an offense loses a top weapon, things do not look good.

With Tucker Kraft hurt….The Packers Superbowl hopes ARE DEAD!!!!

I’m already looking towards the 2026 season..2025 Packers are DEAD…. pic.twitter.com/7NBfe3OEbG

— Green Bay Soldier 💚💛💚💛 (@PackerBackerJD) November 2, 2025

Losing Tucker Kraft sucks. No way around it. Dims the Packers’ title chances, no doubt.

But the QB is healthy and Josh Jacobs, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Dontayvion Wicks and Luke Musgrave are more than enough. Have to adjust and adapt.

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 3, 2025

Tucker Kraft tore his ACL and is out for the season. Today was the worst day of football imaginable for Green Bay.

— Gute 🧀 (@Packers_szn3) November 2, 2025

Head coach Matt LaFleur now has the task of ensuring the offense can resume clicking even without their most trustworthy pass-catcher.

“Tucker Kraft has a torn ACL and he’s out for the season..

It’s a tough loss for the Packers and they’re hoping that Luke Musgrave can step up” @AdamSchefter #PMSLive https://t.co/ccJapaFTDB pic.twitter.com/JmhxBPkm40

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 3, 2025

Musgrave had just 54 receiving yards entering Sunday and is now going to be hugely needed as the season continues on. The third-year tight end has shown that he has the ability to be a good offensive player, but filling Kraft’s shoes will be a tremendously tall task.

While Packers fans search for signs of hope, let’s take a look back in time and see how Super Bowl contenders of the past were able to handle losing top offensive players.

Historical Examples for Teams Making Deep Playoff Runs While Missing Top Offensive Players

In 2022, the Los Angeles Rams demonstrated the ability to fight through significant injuries to their receiving corps. In Week 10 of the regular season, top wideout Robert Woods went down with a torn ACL. Later, the team lost tight end Tyler Higbee in the NFC Championship Game. Two of the team’s top receivers being out did not stop Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and trade acquisition Odell Beckham Jr. from winning the Super Bowl.

In 2018, the Rams also made the Super Bowl despite Kupp tearing his ACL. While they of course lost the Super Bowl and only scored 3 points in the biggest game of the season, Woods and Brandin Cooks picked up the slack with Kupp being out.

Ten years ago, in 2015, the Carolina Panthers lost their top receiver to an ACL tear before the season even started. Cam Newton’s favorite target Kelvin Benjamin never played a snap, but the Panthers went on a miraculous 15-1 season and reached the Super Bowl despite not being viewed as contenders entering the year.

Of course, there are countless examples of teams that had the talent to go all the way but had injuries contribute to disappointing outcomes. Yet, even with that understanding, there is precedent for teams overcoming.

Moving Forward

Kraft is a special player, and the reality is, even great teams do not survive losing multiple top players. LaFleur will be expecting Musgrave as well as young receivers like Matthew Golden and Savion Williams to collectively fill the void in the offense. The margin for error for Jordan Love is dramatically smaller now. Without his most reliable pass-catcher, avoiding costly turnovers and inefficient play is more important that ever.

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