The Green Bay Packers watched as several teams around the NFL made blockbuster deals. Teams are gearing up for a second-half push, but Green Bay decided to stay put.
When tight end Tucker Kraft went down with a torn ACL against the Carolina Panthers, there was room for speculation on whether the Packers would make an addition to the room. With the deadline officially over, tight end Luke Musgrave seems to be the biggest winner.
Luke Musgrave Seems to Be the Biggest Winner After Trade Deadline
Musgrave has been thrust into a larger role for this offense going forward with Kraft sidelined. He has some big shoes to fill, as Kraft is leading the team in receiving yards (489) and receiving touchdowns (6).
When he went down, the Packers' offense seemed to struggle, as they scored just 13 points in the loss to Carolina. Regardless, Green Bay is rolling with Musgrave for the remainder of the season. They selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, but he hasn't lived up to his draft status.
In his first three years, Musgrave has missed time with an MCL tear, an ankle sprain, and an abdominal strain. Aside from these injuries, the Oregon State product has been lackluster as a pass catcher. In 26 career games, he has recorded 50 catches for 485 receiving yards and one score.
The 25-year-old's best season came as a rookie in 2023, when he had 352 receiving yards. Green Bay still has faith he can get back to this form, and he'll have the opportunity to do so.
While there weren't many tight ends whose names were thrown out in trade talks, everyone can move for the right price. Just ask Sauce Gardner, who has traded from the New York Jets to the Indianapolis Colts in a blockbuster deal.
Cleveland's David Njoku could have been an interesting option. The Browns have rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. on the team, who looks poised to take over as the starter. Meanwhile, Njoku is in the final year of his contract.
Granted, the Packers most likely didn't want to hand him a new deal in free agency, so there was no desire to move off some draft capital for a rental.
We'll see if that was the right choice, as the Packers believe in the tight room they have, which will now be led by Musgrave.