Given the way he had dominated throughout the first half of the season, there was always going to be some level of drop-off following the season-ending injury to Green Bay Packers star tight end Tucker Kraft. Despite those realistic expectations, it is becoming clear that the TE position is just not going to be a factor in the passing game from here on out.
In the eight games Kraft appeared in before suffering a knee injury, he did not record fewer than two receptions in any contest, including the loss to the Carolina Panthers, where he tore his ACL during the third quarter of Green Bay's 16-13 loss.
Of the 30 pass attempts from Packers QB Jordan Love in Thursday's 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions, only three were thrown in the direction of healthy TEs Luke Musgrave, Josh Whyle, and John FitzPatrick. Of those attempts, only one was caught as Musgrave picked up a 23-yard gain on his lone reception of the day.
Packers Have No Reliable TE Options in Passing Game Without Kraft
The numbers tell the story regarding just how ineffective the TE position has been since Kraft's injury. Musgrave has only six catches for 52 yards and no touchdowns since Kraft went down, Whyle has two catches for three yards and a TD, and Fitzpatrick has two catches for 16 yards. That's a combined 10-71-1 stat line, with those yardage and TD totals being half of what Kraft did against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8 (7-143-2).
There is no way around it; this type of production isn't good enough and only adds pressure to Love, the running back room, and the wide receiver group.
The lack of impact isn't lost on the coaching staff; it would be impossible for it to be given the stakes this team is playing for during the stretch run. With Kraft unavailable and the rest of the tight ends on the roster having proven to head coach Matt LaFleur, as well as every defensive coordinator in the NFL, that they aren't trustworthy, it has had a direct impact on the way Green Bay has planned out its offensive attack.
Musgrave's ineffectiveness, despite being a second-round pick in 2023, is the most alarming thing to come out of Kraft's injury. Good teams can't miss on picks in the first three rounds of the draft; great teams don't do it at all. With Musgrave appearing to have all the characteristics on the field of a draft bust, there could be some fine-tuning to this roster at the tight end position during the offseason.
One thing is for certain: Kraft will receive a warm welcome before the 2026 campaign once he is fully recovered from his ACL injury. His absence just proved exactly how important he is to Green Bay's offense moving forward.