ss PACKERS’ SHOCK MOVE: Team Sends Chilling Message About TE Luke Musgrave After Tucker Kraft Exit — Fans Are Losing Their Minds!
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur won’t deny he is feeling “bummed” about losing star tight end Tucker Kraft to a season-ending ACL injury, but his focus has already shifted to the next man up for their offense: Luke Musgrave.
Kraft exited in the third quarter of Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers with a knee injury that LaFleur said “doesn’t look good” in the postgame. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, tests confirmed an ACL tear for Kraft on Monday.
“He’s doing as good as you could ever be doing, considering the circumstances,” LaFleur said Monday of Kraft. “Tuck’s a guy that’s not going to flinch, and that’s why we love him. He’s a helluva player, helluva teammate, helluva guy. I’m bummed for him, I’m bummed for us, but it’s just part of it, and it’s got to be that next-man-up mentality.
“It’s unfortunate, but now other guys are going to get an opportunity.”
Musgrave, a 2023 second-round pick, tops the list of “other guys” for the Packers. He caught 33 passes for 341 yards and a touchdown in the first 10 games of his career, but he had stints on IR in both 2023 and 2024, during which time Kraft surpassed him.
Even still, the Packers have confidence in Musgrave as he prepares to replace Kraft.
“Luke’s a guy that we’ve got a ton of confidence in,” LaFleur said Monday of Musgrave. “I think his career got started off facing a little adversity, being in and out of the lineup with some injuries, but what he does bring is he definitely brings a vertical presence, and we’re gonna have to put him in situations where he can utilize his strengths.”
Tucker Kraft Had Emerged as Top Playmaker in 2025
With Kraft out for the year, the Packers are losing more than the average starting tight end. They are losing one of the NFL’s best tight ends, a top playmaker for their offense.
While Kraft played great for the Packers in 2024, the 25-year-old seemed to unlock the next level of his game in the first half of his third NFL season. He leads the Packers in receiving yards (489) and receiving touchdowns (six) through the first eight games and was on pace to finish the year with more than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time.
On a league level, Kraft has also stood out as one of the top performers. According to SumerSports, he has the third-most yards and has run the third-most routes (216) among NFL tight ends heading into Week 9’s final game on Monday, but he also leads the group in yards after catch (344) and total EPA (49.49), underscoring his prestige.
No matter how you spin it, that’s a difficult player to lose for any NFL team.
Can Luke Musgrave Fill Tucker Kraft’s Shoes for Packers?
While Kraft is a big loss for the Packers, though, Musgrave now has a prime opportunity to validate the team’s decision to draft him with the 42nd overall pick in 2023.
Musgrave took a backseat to Kraft in the Packers’ offense through the first eight games, but he has been efficient when called upon. He is one of just seven tight ends who have run at least 50 routes and caught at least 90% of their targets through Week 9, hauling in nine of his 10 targets for 88 yards and four first downs as Green Bay’s No. 2 option.
The Packers won’t have the freedom to run the offense exactly the same with Musgrave as they have with Kraft, but LaFleur isn’t too concerned about making the adjustments.
“I’m sure there’s going to be some tweaks … just like it is with the difference in the receiver room. You ask some guys to run choice routes and you have other guys run the deeper developing routes, so there will be some tweaks in that regard.”
Ravens DC Zach Orr Gets Strong Message From John Harbaugh After Win
Although they faced a quarterback playing in only his fourth career NFL game, the Baltimore Ravens continue to make strides on the defensive side of the ball.
It was an awful start to the season for the Ravens after two-time MVP Lamar Jackson was out several weeks with an injury. But the defensive side of the ball has been the main concern, having taken a significant step back from last season.
The Ravens’ defense has looked better in recent weeks and stayed strong on Sunday to help defeat J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings, 27-19. The Ravens had two defensive takeaways and a third takeaway on special teams.
John Harbaugh Has Zach Orr’s Back
Since acquiring Alohi Gilman last month, defensive coordinator Zach Orr has been able to utilize a three-safety scheme that better highlights Kyle Hamilton’s versatility — and the results have been dramatic. After surrendering more than 35 points per game through their first five contests, the Ravens have tightened up considerably, allowing fewer than 15 points per game over their last four.
Although their aggressive coverage led to a few costly pass-interference penalties late in the game, the Ravens limited Vikings star Justin Jefferson to just four catches for 37 yards on 12 targets.
Head coach John Harbaugh faced questions all single long about Orr, but wanted to make a point after Sunday’s game in Minnesota.
“Zach called a magnificent game,” Harbaugh said. “The coaches and Zach put together a fantastic gameplan.”
“The turnovers, the fourth down stops, the two-point play stop and even overcoming some crazy stuff,” Harbaugh said of the successes of his defense. “Our guys didn’t crack.”
Harbaugh shouted out linebacker Kyle Van Noy for his play.
“We still have a lot of work to do, a lot of games left, but we’re enjoying the process of getting better, and I don’t think we’re taking what we’re doing lightly,” Van Noy said post game, according to ESPN.
“I think we’re starting to hit our stride,” Hamilton said. “It’s not a surprise to us. I think we’re playing to our potential now, and that’s got to be sustained.”
Lamar Jackson Has Quiet Performance by His Standards
On offense, this marked Jackson’s 100th regular-season start. With 73 wins in those games, he ranks fourth in NFL history for victories in a quarterback’s first 100 starts, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (78), Tom Brady (76), and Roger Staubach (76). Only Aaron Rodgers boasts a higher passer rating over his first 100 games. In this outing, Jackson completed 17 of 29 passes for 176 yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown to Mark Andrews, and added 36 yards on nine rushes.
Despite the milestone, Jackson was not satisfied with his performance.
“A lot of confidence,” Jackson said of the Baltimore defense, “but I’d have even more if we were putting points up on the board like we should.”
Jackson was sacked just once and remained composed throughout, handling both the loud crowd and Minnesota’s tricky defensive schemes with poise.
“That’s what won the game for us — the poise under pressure,” said Harbaugh, who notched his first win in three trips to Minnesota, completing a remarkable feat in his 18-year career by securing at least one victory in every current NFL city.
