Packers’ Matt LaFleur Reveals Season-Ending Injury News

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave has yet to take the field in 2026, and head coach Matt LaFleur offered a cautious assessment Wednesday about whether that will change before the season ends.

“It’s tough to say right now,” LaFleur said. “Until proven otherwise, I would say no. But I would never close the door on that.”

Musgrave sustained a neck injury during June minicamp and has been sidelined since, missing all of training camp, the preseason and the opening weeks of the regular season. The Packers placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list at roster cutdowns, guaranteeing he would miss at least the first four games. Specifics of the injury have not been disclosed.

The former second-round pick entered the year already facing an uphill climb to secure a larger role or a long-term future in Green Bay. Injuries have defined much of his early career since the Packers selected him 42nd overall in the 2023 draft, one round ahead of Tucker Kraft.

In his rookie season, Musgrave dealt with a lacerated kidney that limited him after a promising start. He finished 2023 with 34 receptions for 352 yards and one touchdown across 11 games.

Ankle problems slowed him further in 2024. Musgrave appeared in seven games with three starts and recorded just seven catches for 45 yards before spending time on injured reserve.

He stayed healthier in 2025 and played all 17 games, catching 24 passes for 252 yards without a touchdown. Even after Kraft suffered a season-ending ACL tear, the Packers struggled to increase Musgrave’s involvement in the offense.

Musgrave is in the final year of his rookie contract and will become a free agent after the 2026 season. The team has not moved to extend him following the limited production through his first three years.

Despite the absence, Green Bay’s tight end group has held up. Kraft, selected 78th overall in the same 2023 draft, signed a four-year extension worth $75 million before the season opener that can reach $92 million with incentives. He has returned from the knee injury and remains the clear lead option at the position.

The Packers added veteran Jonnu Smith on a one-year deal once it became clear Musgrave’s timeline was uncertain. Smith has five receptions for 85 yards so far this season while providing a reliable veteran presence behind Kraft.

Depth options include Mark Redman, primarily used as a run blocker who has contributed amid offensive line issues, and Josh Whyle, who filled in as a secondary option last year when injuries hit the room. The group is deeper than it was entering the offseason.

Losing Musgrave for the full season would mark another setback for the 26-year-old, but the Packers have not leaned on him heavily in recent years. A late return, if he clears the injury, could still create competition for snaps behind Kraft and Smith.

Earlier in September, general manager Brian Gutekunst expressed hope that Musgrave would play at some point in 2026. LaFleur’s comments this week indicate the team is preparing for the possibility that he does not.