The Green Bay Packers are 2-0 and travel to play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. While preparing for this game, they were given a health scare from tight end Tucker Kraft, who left practice after tweaking his knee on Thursday.
Head coach Matt LaFleur spoke to reporters on Friday and gave a positive update on the young tight end. LaFleur said that Tucker probably won't practice on the 19th, but they will give him until game time on Sunday to see if he'll play, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. The head coach added that IR isn't likely for Kraft. There was worry about a long-term absence when he went down, but it was just a tweak, and he checked out OK, according to Ian Rapoport.
Packers Avoid Disaster With Tucker Kraft Injury Update
Even if Kraft can't suit up on Sunday, the Packers can manage. Avoiding an IR stint is pretty much the best-case scenario. Losing Kraft for a game or two stings, but missing him for several weeks (or even the season) would have been crushing for this offense.
Kraft had 50 catches for 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, and the South Dakota State product was off to a fantastic start in 2025. In the win over the Commanders, Kraft showcased to the entire world what he's capable of, reeling in six catches (seven targets) for 124 receiving yards and a touchdown.
He is going to be a massive playmaker in this offense as both a blocker and a pass catcher. Having him around for the long haul is a big win for the Packers. Whenever a player goes down with a knee injury, it automatically rings the alarm for fans.
In this case, the Packers don't have to worry about Kraft missing much time. They just placed Jayden Reed on IR with a broken collarbone, and he also underwent surgery to address the stress fracture in his foot. Christian Watson is nearly a return from an ACL tear but is still on the PUP list.
Not having another playmaker down with a long-term injury helps this offense out and allows fans to take a deep breath. If Kraft can't give it a go versus Cleveland, Luke Musgrave will be thrust into the starting lineup. He has three catches for 36 receiving yards in 2025, but was still a second-round pick. LaFleur gave him some praise last week, saying, "I'm really excited to see where he goes this season."
That may happen in Week 3 but Green Bay dodged a massive bullet with this Kraft injury.