The Green Bay Packers lost Jordan Love’s most trusted target for the season.
Tight end Tucker Kraft, who was in the midst of a breakout year and had a team-leading six touchdowns, won’t be back after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in their Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Packers had two days to address that void before the NFL trade deadline but weren’t able to strike a deal.
With that in mind, analyst Peter Bukowski dug into another tight end’s tape and discovered his underrated impact on the Green Bay offense.
“Went back and watched some more Luke Musgrave from 2023 before the emergence of Tucker Kraft. I’d forgotten how regularly they threw to him on third down. And he made some beautiful plays down the field. Still think there’s a really useful player in there,” Peter Bukowski wrote on X.
Went back and watched some more Luke Musgrave from 2023 before the emergence of Tucker Kraft.
I’d forgotten how regularly they threw to him on 3rd down. And they he made some beautiful plays down the field.
Still think there’s a really useful player in there.
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) November 5, 2025
Musgrave and Kraft had a nearly identical target share earlier in their careers.
He showed promise as a pass catcher, and the Packers might be confident in his ability to impact the offense.
Of course, replacing Kraft’s production will be easier said than done, especially given his ability to pile up yards after the catch and his reliable hands in the red zone.
Then again, Musgrave has been there for three seasons, so he’s also familiar with the scheme, and given Love’s skill with intermediate throws, he might be in for a breakout in the second half of the season.
The Packers reportedly tried to trade for Cleveland Browns veteran David Njoku.
Now, they will have no choice but to trust that Musgrave or someone else can step up and get the job done in Kraft’s place.
