Two Packers Sidelined on First Day of OTAs
The Green Bay Packers took the next step to the 2024 NFL season when they began their organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday. After the Packers exceeded expectations by reaching the NFC Divisional Round in the playoffs, Green Bay fans are excited that they're finally getting a glimpse of next season's roster.
While the fanbase was eager to see how their favorite players looked during the voluntary workouts, two Packers were noticeably absent from the mix.
Packers News: Tucker Kraft, Robert Rochell Absent from OTAs
While the majority of the 90-man roster was in attendance for Tuesday's OTAs, The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reports that cornerback Robert Rochell was absent.
Tucker Kraft and Robert Rochell are the only two players not present for the first OTA practice open to media.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 21, 2024
Everyone else on the 90-man roster is here. Zach Tom, Kitan Oladapo, Tyler Davis and Keshawn Banks are in the rehab area during stretch.
ESPN's Rob Demovsky provided an update shortly after Schneidman's post on Tucker Kraft, saying the tight end was in attendance, however, his arm was in a sling.
Actually Tucker Kraft is here but not practicing. Has an arm in a sling. https://t.co/3hTi454CnE
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) May 21, 2024
Demovsky also mentioned that Kraft had recently gotten married, so perhaps the injury occurred on his honeymoon. Still, injuries out of nowhere aren't exactly encouraging, making it a situation worth monitoring as OTAs continue.
Suiting up in all 17 games (8 starts) as a rookie, it didn't take long for Kraft to become one of Jordan Love's top targets. The ex-South Dakota State TE hauled in 31 of his 40 targets (77.5%) for 355 receiving yards and two touchdowns before posting a 5-24-1 stat line in two postseason appearances.
As for Rochell, the jury's still out as to why he missed Tuesday's session. There haven't been any reports regarding the fourth-year CB dealing with any injuries and he just signed a new contract with the Packers in March, so chances are we aren't looking at a contract dispute.
Rochell, 26, was claimed by the Packers last October after being placed on waivers by the LA Rams. The former 2021 fourth-round selection strictly played on special teams throughout his nine appearances in a Green Bay jersey, tallying four solo tackles without a miss. Time will tell if he's ready to step into a bigger defensive role this season.
Hopefully, Kraft and Rochell's situations aren't anything serious and they can rejoin the team sooner rather than later. The Packers need all hands on deck if they want to win Super Bowl LIX, which they currently have 10th-best odds (+1900) to do on FanDuel Sportsbook.
More Green Bay Packers news and rumors:
feed