New Packers Tight End Had Eclectic Childhood

Long before Josh Whyle was getting ready to make his Green Bay Packers debut, he was a gymnast.

“That was a long time ago,” Whyle was quick to point out after Thursday’s practice.

When he was a kid growing up in Cincinnati, his parents pushed him into a number of activities. Gymnastics were among them.

“Yeah, my parents definitely tried to get me into a little bit of everything,” he said. “I was in men’s choir, I was doing a little bit of everything. Did an instrument; I did recorder or something.”

There’d be no concerts or pommel horses in Whyle’s future. He “knew early on” that football “definitely” was his calling.

“I played basketball, baseball and football growing up,” he said. “I played every sport, but in high school football and basketball, and that’s when I really narrowed it down. I knew football was the way to go.”

It was a good choice. Whyle had a record-setting career at the University of Cincinnati, where he scored the most touchdowns by a tight end in the history of a program that produced future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce along with Brent Celek and Josiah Deguara.

Before the 2023 draft, the Packers interviewed Whyle at the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine, then brought him in for a predraft visit. Ultimately, Green Bay drafted Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft in the third round, and the Tennessee Titans drafted Whyle in the fifth round.

While he had a productive second season last year with 28 receptions – former Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten was the Titans’ tight ends coach – he was released at the end of training camp this summer.

“I don’t know” what happened, he said. “Maybe things didn’t fall my way through camp. But ended up here and happy about it. It’s a good room I’m a part of. Yeah, just looking to do what I can.”

The Packers signed him to the practice squad, where he toiled for the first half of the season. With Kraft’s torn ACL, promoting Whyle to the active roster, where he’ll join another tight end drafted in 2023, John FitzPatrick, was a no-brainer.

“He’s a guy that we did a lot of work on in the draft, saw some of his tape at Tennessee,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I just think he’s a gritty, hard-nosed competitor, and he’s got the versatility that you can move around a little bit. So, now it’s a great opportunity for him to showcase what he can do for us.”

After starting three games as a rookie, Whyle played in all 17 games with four starts last season. Serving on the practice squad this year with no role on gamedays was an adjustment.

“I know my role,” he said. “Everybody’s got their role on this team and I try to embrace that. Obviously, my time here’s been to get the guys ready for Sunday but now it’s flipping.”

If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. That’s been Whyle’s focus the past two months, so he didn’t have to adjust his mindset as he gets ready to make his Packers debut on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Each week, I’ve tried to prepare like I’m playing in the game, so I don’t think anything’s going to change towards my preparation but, obviously, what I do counts now on Sundays,” he said.

“But Tuck and Luke and John, they’ve all been great when I first came in just learning the playbook and stuff. I’ve just noticed how they prepare, especially in the details. They really hit them each week. Sometimes it can be monotonous, over and over, but it shows up on Sundays, and it’s really cool to see.”

Whyle isn’t necessarily an old-school, in-line tight end. He played about 20 snaps per game last season for the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus, his playing time included 199 snaps as a traditional tight end, 102 snaps in the slot and 35 snaps as a wide receiver.

That kind of diverse role is probably what’s in store for him with the Packers as he works behind Musgrave, who this season has played 130 snaps of in-line tight end, 21 in the slot and 12 at receiver, and FitzPatrick, who has played 97 snaps of in-line tight end, 19 in the slot and six at receiver.

“Tight end is a dynamic position, especially when you have tight ends who can do a little bit of both [blocking and receiving],” he said. “It’s hard for defenses to adjust to that, I think. So, I’m really excited, but I’m going to do whatever they ask of me and try to do it to the best of my ability.”

Whyle was mic’d up during training camp last year. It provided a glimpse into his play style and mentality.

“I’m going to try to bring the most energy and have fun with it and make plays when they’re there,” he said.