Week 9 has quickly gone from bad to worse for the Green Bay Packers. Not only did they suffer the biggest upset loss of the season, but they also lost multiple key contributors to injuries. Matthew Golden left the game with a shoulder injury, while Aaron Banks and Colby Wooden were also sidelined. The worst injury of them all, however, was the one Tucker Kraft suffered in the third quarter.
After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur said that Kraft's knee injury "does not look good," per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. While the Packers refused to officially disclose any more details than that, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that it is feared that Kraft tore his ACL, meaning that it would end his season.
Kraft will have to go through an MRI on Monday, and we should get confirmation about the severity of the situation. But at the bare minimum, the Packers have to prepare to be without their star tight end for the foreseeable future.
The third-year starter has been in the midst of the best season of his career, turning into Jordan Love's favorite target this year. He was leading the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns through the first seven games, and was coming off the best game of his career, putting up seven receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers in Week 8.
Luke Musgrave Has Excellent Opportunity to Re-Establish His Role Within Offense
While it's impossible for the Packers to replace Kraft with just one player, this presents a massive opportunity for Luke Musgrave, who will be the biggest beneficiary of the injury. This was immediately made obvious as Musgrave saw a season-high 30 offensive snaps on Sunday and was targeted three times for the first time this season. He finished the game with three catches and 34 yards, both season highs.
Musgrave has been overshadowed by Kraft throughout his career, despite being selected a round earlier in the 2023 NFL Draft. The two players have been connected since the start of their careers thanks to Green Bay's unorthodox decision to draft two tight ends in back-to-back picks so early in the draft. While the Kraft selection has obviously worked out, Musgrave has dealt with significant injuries throughout his time in Titletown, limiting his production.
Now, this is as good a chance as any for the former second-round pick to establish his spot in the pecking order. With the only other tight end on the roster being John FitzPatrick, Musgrave should see plenty of targets, starting with the huge Week 10 clash against the Eagles. Considering that there is probably not enough time between now and Tuesday's trade deadline for GM Brian Gutekunst to swing for a trade for another tight end, the TE1 spot should be Musgrave's to lose until the end of the season.