The Green Bay Packers are back at practice this week after their annual Family Night event on Saturday night. This week of training camp. though, is a tad different than the previous ones. Of course, this is because they are preparing for their first preseason game, which will be against the Cleveland Browns this Saturday.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has already revealed his decision on whether quarterback Jordan Love will play. Love, who recently signed a four-year $220 million extension (the richest contract in franchise history), will indeed play. How much he will play, though, remains to be seen.
There Are Few Questions Surrounding the Green Bay Packers This Season
There are, of course, far fewer questions surrounding this Packers team than there was last season. Following the team’s trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, many people doubted that they would be successful with Love under center.
Furthermore, the Packers also surrounded Love only with first and second-year pass catcher. This included a tight end room that was comprised entirely of rookies. With veteran special teams specialist Tyler Davis out for the season with a torn ACL, Green Bay ran with Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, and Ben Sims.
While Sims played sparingly, Musgrave and Kraft were big contributors for the Packers, especially in the second half of the season when the offense finally hit its stride.
In fact, they outperformed the two veterans (Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan) that they replaced:
| Players | Luke Musgrave & Tucker Kraft | Robert Tonyan & Marcedes Lewis |
| Receptions | 65 | 15 |
| Yards | 707 | 141 |
| Touchdowns | 3 | 1 |
Expectations are high for both Musgrave and Kraft heading into the 2024 season, though Kraft has not been able to practice at all this offseason. That is, until today.
Green Bay Packers Tight End Tucker Kraft Is Activated from the PUP
Before the players even reported for voluntary workouts, the Packers knew that Kraft was not going to be available until training camp. This is because the second year tight end out of South Dakota tore his pec while lifting weights this offseason.
Ironically, right tackle Zach Tom and head coach Matt LaFleur suffered the same injury.
According to multiple reports from training camp on Tuesday, Kraft is finally back in action:
#Packers TE Tucker Kraft back at practice, participating in his first individual drills of camp. Hitting the sled and taking passes from Jordan Love. pic.twitter.com/W7pgRBJGw6
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 6, 2024
The plan is for Green Bay to ease Kraft back into the swing of things. It does not sound like he will play on Saturday against the Browns.
Green Bay Packers Tight End Tucker Kraft Proved to Be a Reliable Weapon for Jordan Love
When the 2023 NFL season started, everyone thought that Musgrave was going to be the biggest star of the two tight ends that the Packers drafted. After all, he was a second-round pick.
And while Musgrave did get the majority of early season targets among the tight ends, and while he did break the Packers’ franchise record for receptions by a rookie tight end, Kraft proved that he is arguably just as good of a target in the passing game.
When Musgrave missed multiple weeks with a lacerated kidney late in the season, it was Kraft who stepped up and provided stability at the position. He ended the season with 31 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns.
26 of his receptions, 312 of his yards, and both of his touchdowns came after Musgrave when down with an injury, meaning that the majority of his production came in the span of just seven weeks.
Having him back is a major boost for Love and the Packers’ offense.
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