On top of losing a game where they were heavily favored for their second defeat of the season, the Green Bay Packers have major injury concerns heading into Week 10. Matthew Golden, Colby Wooden, and Aaron Banks have all suffered injuries in the loss against the Panthers, but none are as devastating as the likely ACL tear Tucker Kraft went down with in the third quarter. Early reports suggest that Kraft will miss the rest of the season, forcing Matt LaFleur and the coaching staff to scramble with the hopes of finding an adequate replacement for one of the team's most important playmakers.
Luke Musgrave will be the main beneficiary after the injury, and John FitzPatrick is the only other tight end on the roster. The main reason why that is the case is the kicker saga the Packers have been embroiled in the last couple of weeks.
Packers' Kicking Saga Is Creating Issues Elsewhere on the Roster
The Packers wanted to keep both Lucas Havrisik and Brandon McManus on the 53-man roster, so when it was time to activate Christian Watson from the PUP list ahead of Week 8, they had to release TE Ben Sims. Now, the Packers still have two kickers on their active roster, while their tight end rotation could certainly use Sims.
Sims was later claimed by the Vikings. Therefore, if the Packers want to add another tight end after Kraft lands on the injured reserve list, they can either sign Josh Whyle from their practice squad, bring in a free agent, or target one on the trade market before the November 4 deadline.
Regardless of which direction the Packers choose to go, they need to resolve their kicking issue. They now had two kickers active for the two weeks, wasting a roster spot. Havrisik has been a healthy scratch and will continue to be so as long as McManus is healthy. That is not the best use of resources for any team, let alone a Super Bowl contender.
McManus missed another field goal on Sunday to bring his season totals to 11/16 on field goals. This is easily the worst stretch of his career, and his injury that kept him sidelined for two weeks seems to be affecting him both physically and mentally. The Packers need to make a decision: McManus missed three field goals in two weeks, and that should be enough to cut him loose. If it isn't, then Havrisik needs to be released so that the Packers can add players to positions that need more depth.