The Green Bay Packers don't have a tight end problem anymore following Tucker Kraft's season-ending ACL tear. In fact, what was once a weakness is slowly turning into a positive situation for the Packers, highlighted in Sunday's win over the rival Chicago Bears.
Packers QB Jordan Love targeted his tight end room seven times in Week 14, resulting in Luke Musgrave, Josh Whyle, and John FitzPatrick combining for five catches and 57 receiving yards. It wasn't the most productive outing, but the TE trio did finish with 24.4% of Green Bay's receiving yards on the day.
Whyle and FitzPatrick made several drive-extending catches that set up the Packers' first touchdown of the game. Musgrave had a drive-shifting 12-yard reception that led to a touchdown 17 seconds later in the second quarter's final minute, the team's score of the day. Establishing the tight ends as a threat allowed Christian Watson to score two touchdowns and accumulate 89 yards on four receptions, while also allowing the returning Jayden Reed to do some damage in the slot (four catches, 31 yards).
FitzPatrick paced the three TEs with 30 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus, while Whyle and Musgrave were neck and neck with each other at 22 and 21 snaps, respectively.
Green Bay is thriving on a committee approach at the position, and it helps that Reed is back to causing noise in the middle of the field, something that wasn't present during Kraft's final few games pre-injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur has given opposing defenses three different tight ends to worry about in the passing game, opening up play-action bootleg sets with a tight end sail concept.
Packers' TE Situation Looks Much More Promising After Week 14
The Packers are becoming more dangerous week by week as they figure out how to overcome injuries with the personnel on hand. They'll need their TE room to continue to produce if they want to make the playoffs and go on a deep run, as Sunday proved that Green Bay's offense is at its best when everyone is doing their part.
There's no replacing Kraft on the field. Those first few weeks without him were brutal. Things are looking up, though, and there are silver linings to losing one of the most explosive weapons in the passing game. Musgrave, Whyle, and FitzPatrick aren't as good as Kraft and likely won't give the Packers any game-deciding performances, but the trio is solid enough that fans don't have to be worried about the TE position anymore.
LaFleur has proved his merit as a coach, and those beyond Kraft on the depth chart have proven themselves as timely producers who can band together and offer a lot of what Kraft does on his own. In many ways, things have gone as smoothly as possible after a catastrophic loss for the offense, something that could've easily derailed the Packers' season.
Whether or not this keeps up in the postseason is a question the team will have to ask itself and answer in a few weeks' time. For now, LaFleur has managed this crisis masterfully, leaving Packers fans excited to see what the TE room does next.