Luke Musgrave won't be Tucker Kraft, but the Green Bay Packers already know how to use his talents

No one can replace Tucker Kraft, who set a course for an All-Pro season for his ACL tear that ended his season. Luckily, Green Bay already knows what it has with Luke Musgrave.

Trailing by a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the Green Bay Packers looked to Luke Musgrave. Their nascent superstar tight end watched from the locker room or the MRI machine, likely knowing his season was over. Musgrave sprinted up the field, broke in like he was going to run one of Matt LaFleur’s big over routes, then broke back outside. Love laid the ball out for the former second-round pick who plucked it in some late traffic for a 21-yard game.

The Packers found Musgrave two more times on what ended up being the game-tying drive, reminding us of what Green Bay saw when they made the former Oregon State standout a second-round pick.

Ahead of Tucker Kraft.

In 2023, Musgrave started from Day 1, drawing rave reviews from coaches and local and national media. Before a lacerated kidney scuttled his debut season, Musgrave had a chance to shatter the Packers’ record for receptions by a rookie tight end. As it was, he tied Bubba Franks, and had he stayed healthy, could have approached the receptions record for any Green Bay rookie, regardless of position.

That’s the guy taking Kraft’s place, not some also-ran, undrafted free agent Brian Gutekunst just signed off the street.

LaFleur already knows how to use Musgrave. Love trusts him.