The Green Bay Packers are dealing with a mountain of injuries. One of those is rookie tight end Luke Musgrave who avoided a serious neck injury but sustained an ankle injury. His status has been up in the air but Matt LaFleur’s comments on Tucker Kraft on Thursday do not bode well for his status on Sunday.
Matt LaFleur's answer about TE Tucker Kraft — 'He's going to have to play big for us this week' — would seem to indicate that Luke Musgrave's ankle injury will keep him out Sunday vs. Minnesota.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 26, 2023
Green Bay Packers Tucker Kraft Gets Bigger Role; Luke Musgrave Out?
LaFleur had this to say about Kraft when asked about the other rookie tight end. “He’s going to have to play big for us this week.” While Kraft has seen an expanded role in the offense the last couple of weeks, he is clearly playing second fiddle to Musgrave. Coming out of South Dakota State, Kraft was seen as more of a project.
Now, he may be the top tight end on the depth chart for Sunday’s game against the Vikings. This is some reading between the lines. Musgrave could improve over the weekend and play but I expect the team to be cautious with the rookie. There is no need to risk long-term injury for a week 8 game in a down year.
Can The Offense Get Better?
There are a lot of injuries but a lot of them are on the defensive side of the ball. The offense has stayed largely healthy outside of a couple of key pieces like Aaron Jones. The hope is that Jordan Love and the offense can finally kick their first-half woes. The second half has seen the offense look completely different. If they can even be mediocre in the first half, the Packers might be able to take down their division rivals.
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
Can Tucker Kraft make the most of his opportunity if he gets it? If both Kraft and Musgrave can develop into top threats, the Packers could have a scary passing attack in the next couple of years. Hopefully, Musgrave can recover and be ready to go in future weeks if not in week 8.
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