Packers offensive weapon facing more serious injury than initial projections suggested
The Green Bay Packers will be without tight end Luke Musgrave for some time. The second-year player even practiced on Wednesday after being active but not playing versus the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but the ankle injury is more serious than initially projected by the team. "He's been dealing with something and fighting through […]
The Green Bay Packers will be without tight end Luke Musgrave for some time. The second-year player even practiced on Wednesday after being active but not playing versus the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but the ankle injury is more serious than initially projected by the team.
"He's been dealing with something and fighting through it. So he'll be down for some time," head coach Matt LaFleur said on Thursday.
LaFleur said that Musgrave will likely go on injured reserve, which will make him miss at least four games. He wouldn't play against the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Detroit Lions. Musgrave could return starting in week 11, right after the team's bye, when the Packers face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
It's the same injury that didn't allow him to play on Sunday, even though he was active as an emergency option.
"Yes, which speaks to his toughness and competitiveness," LaFleur added. "The fact that he even suited up this last game was pretty impressive. I don't think we understood how serious it was. So, he's gonna be down for a minute."
Clear picture
It became clear that Luke Musgrave had something serious based on how Thursday progressed. Earlier on the day, the Packers signed tight end John FitzPatrick off the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad. In this type of move, the player has to stay on the 53-man roster and be paid for at least three weeks, so it wasn't just a one-game decision.
Moreover, Musgrave didn't practice on Thursday after being on the field on Wednesday. He was one of the two Packers players not available for practice, alongside defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt — both with ankle injuries.
Tucker Kraft has been the starting tight end for the Packers throughout the season. Without Luke Musgrave, the immediate backup option is Ben Sims, who's been with Green Bay since last season — originally signed by the Minnesota Vikings, he was claimed off waivers by the Packers before week 1 in 2023.
Beyond them, the Packers also have tight end Messiah Swinson and fullback Andrew Beck on the practice squad — Beck was even elevated for gameday and played against the Rams.
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