As the Green Bay Packers prepare for Saturday night's wild-card game against the Chicago Bears, they come in rested up after head coach Matt LaFleur elected against playing the starters in the Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. One of the issues Green Bay has had to deal with for most of the season has been overcoming the injury to tight end Tucker Kraft, who suffered a season-ending torn right ACL during the Nov. 2 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Packers have not been the same since that injury to their leading receiver at the time, and they made some moves on Tuesday to address some issues. Along with releasing quarterback Clayton Tune, the Packers signed QB Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster and signed TE Messiah Swinson, WR Julian Hicks, and WR Kisean Johnson to the practice squad, per Jason B. Hirschhorn, co-founder of The Leap.
Swinson was with the Packers for most of the 2024 season and spent the 2025 preseason in Green Bay. He may not be the fleetest of foot with his 260-pound frame, but he will compete as a blocker and made this impressive catch through contact during his final season at Arizona State, as Optimum Scouting's Owen Riese noted.
Messiah Swinson Could Be an Option down the Road for Green Bay
Clearly, Swinson is not someone who the Packers are going to immediately thrust into action and depend on, given his unproven record in the NFL. However, those types of plays during his time as a Sun Devil show that he is more than capable of making plays while also having the frame to become a reliable blocker.
Considering he only had 317 yards and two TDs combined during his collegiate career at Missouri and Arizona State, Swinson is almost certainly not a playoff option for the Packers. However, a futures contract could be likely for Swinson, which could potentially afford him the opportunity to prove himself to the organization and perhaps earn some consideration for a spot on the 2026 roster if Kraft's recovery hits a setback.
The 6-foot-8, 255-pound TE has shown that he can be a decent blocker, though, allowing only one pressure on 46 pass-blocking downs in his final year at Arizona State, per Pro Football Focus.
Green Bay also has to consider the progress that Kraft is making as he recovers from the ACL tear and when he will be able to return to action. Still, an injury as serious as the one he suffered always poses some risks, so the Packers need to make sure their TE room is deep in case he cannot return immediately or is not 100%.
After Kraft, Luke Musgrave leads other TEs on the team this season with 24 catches and 252 yards, while John FitzPatrick and Josh Whyle each have one TD. It is clear, though, how important Kraft is to this offense and how the TE production dipped significantly when he got injured, leaving the door open for someone like Swinson to compete for a spot.
With his injury hanging over the franchise, getting some depth at the position, whether it be from receiving to just making key blocks, is critical to keeping this offense afloat. Swinson is by no means an attention-grabbing signing, but he is at least someone who has spent some time with the Packers, and that familiarity could come in handy during the prep for the 2026 campaign, whether Kraft is ready to play or not.