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Green Bay Packers Tight End Suffers Brutal Injury

Originally posted on Packers Coverage | By Kenneth Teape | Last updated 5/22/24

The Green Bay Packers had virtually all of their players attending organized team activities this week. It is always an encouraging sign when veterans and rookies alike are taking part in the offseason workouts, as it helps build chemistry and cohesion for the season.

However, not all of the news was positive at Packers camp. Second-year tight end Tucker Kraft was spotted at the field but he was not participating. He was on the sidelines, and according to Andy Herman of Pack-A-Day reported that he was in a sling.

Tucker Kraft not practicing and with his arm in a sling. Must have had one hell of a wedding party.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) May 21, 2024

After practice, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke to reporters and was asked about Kraft. The South Dakota State product is not going to see the field until at least training camp.

While he didn’t explicitly say it, LaFleur hinted that he is dealing with a pretty serious injury. As shared by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Kraft is on the Matt LaFleur plan, referencing that he too went through pectoral rehab recently.

Tucker Kraft will be out until training camp, LaFleur said. If he’s not ready by the start, then shortly into camp. Kraft had his left arm in a sling today.

LaFleur, who recently tore his pec: “He’s on the Matt LaFleur plan.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 21, 2024

It is certainly encouraging that Kraft should be back in the mix once training camp starts. But missing this much of the offseason program is certainly detrimental. It will put him behind the eight ball compared to other teammates, as he will be rehabbing, not working out and preparing for the season.

A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Kraft played a bigger role than many thought he would as a rookie. He appeared in all 17 games, starting eight of them, catching 31 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns.

When second-round rookie Luke Musgrave was forced out of the lineup, it was Kraft who stepped up to fill the void. With Josiah Deguara no longer in the mix, Kraft is looking at a much bigger workload in 2024.

That is what makes this injury such an unfortunate one. He will lose out on valuable time to continue working with Jordan Love to continue developing as a pass catcher, as Kraft has already proven to be an excellent run-blocker.

This article first appeared on Packers Coverage and was syndicated with permission.

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