The Green Bay Packers needed someone to step up in Tucker Kraft's absence. They reportedly tried to trade for David Njoku, but the Cleveland Browns had no interest in giving him up. As a result, it was Luke Musgrave's turn to be the next man up. So far, however, his play hasn't shown he's up to the task.
Following two rather quiet performances, head coach Matt LaFleur admitted that it was up to the coaching staff to ensure Musgrave is more involved and gets more touches. According to Packers reporter Eli Berkovits of 247Sports, the head coach wants Musgrave to be on the field more often.
Matt LaFleur Claims Luke Musgrave Has to Play More
"Matt LaFleur on Luke Musgrave's lack of playing time: 'Was kind of how the game played out. He absolutely needs to play more. We'll make sure that happens. I thought he did a pretty good job overall," Berkovits wrote.
Nor should he. Regardless of what he says, the fact of the matter is that Musgrave has done next to nothing since Tucker Kraft suffered a season-ending injury. If he were a good fit in the offense, the Packers wouldn't need to bend over backwards to make sure to get him involved. They could simply deploy him in the same ways they used Kraft before his injury.
Musgrave and Kraft entered the league in the same year, and there was a point where they even had a similar workload. The fact that he fell behind this badly speaks volumes about his fit in the offense or, even worse, his skills compared to his teammate.
Musgrave finished the 27-20 win over the New York Giants with one reception on two targets for minus-one yard. Fellow tight end Josh Whyle, on the other hand, made the most of his limited touches by hauling in his only target for a one-yard touchdown.
At the end of the day, the Packers have way too many weapons in the passing game, even with Kraft and Jayden Reed out with injuries. With Josh Jacobs also nursing a knee injury, they might have to throw the ball early and often on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
If Musgrave can't contribute and give the passing game anything after so many years with the organization, it has to be painfully evident that he's not the type of player this team needs going forward.
On the season, Musgrave has brought in 13 receptions on 15 targets for 110 yards and no touchdowns. This is despite starting six of the team's ten games, as the veteran has only been playing sparingly and serving mostly as a blocker.