Packers' Matt LaFleur leaves no doubt about thoughts on Luke Musgrave after Tucker Kraft's brutal injury 1 Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (88) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Packers’ Matt LaFleur leaves no doubt about thoughts on Luke Musgrave after Tucker Kraft’s brutal injury

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 6:55 AM ET

The Green Bay Packers’ loss of star tight end Tucker Kraft to a season-ending ACL injury has turned the world upside down for the team’s offense.

Outside of quarterback Jordan Love, Kraft arguably was the most important player for Green Bay’s attack. Now, the Packers will have to learn to play without the former South Dakota State Jackrabbits star tight end.

Kraft prematurely finishes his third season in the NFL with 489 receiving yards to go along with a total of six touchdowns on 32 receptions and 44 targets over the course of eight games.

Kraft was a steadying factor downfield for Green Bay, acting a a reliable red zone weapon for Love, so the team will have to find a way to mitigate the impact of the tight end’s absence and cover the gaping hole he’s left on offense.

The Packers now look for their other tight ends to step upside

The absence of Kraft brings attention to the healthy ones in Green Bay’s tight end roo. The Packers currently still have Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick in the position’s depth chart, and it’s the former that is likely to benefit the most in terms of snaps and opportunities downfield going forward.

“Yeah, absolutely, and he’s going to have to be,” LaFleur said of Musgrave, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “Both him and [John FitzPatrick]. It’s unfortunate because, more than anything, I know how much Tuck puts into this, and he’s a big part of our team, a great leader, and it’s hard to replace that. But that happens with teams across the league.”

Musgrave has seen just 32 percent of offensive snaps so far in the 2025 NFL season, but that should go up, as he looks to make a bigger impact on a presumably higher usage in Green Bay’s offense.

On the season, the 25-year-old Musgrave has just 88 receiving yards with zero touchdowns on nine catches and 10 targets in eight games (five starts) in the 2025 NFL season, to date.

Packers' Matt LaFleur leaves no doubt about thoughts on Luke Musgrave after Tucker Kraft's brutal injury 2 Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) celebrates a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals with Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (88) during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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