Concerning Neck Injury Keeps Packers' Luke Musgrave Out Indefinitely
The Packers are taking a cautious approach as the former second-round pick is dealing with yet another obstruction in his young career.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The severity of the neck injury that Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave sustained during minicamp is still being determined.
Musgrave, who will turn 26 years old in September, was one of a handful of players placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to begin training camp. Most of those players—with the exception of Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft, Kamal Hadden, and Jordon Riley, who are recovering from injuries sustained last season—are going to be temporarily sidelined and should return at some point during training camp.
Musgrave, however, is facing murkier waters.
“We’re working through it to see if it’s going to be something long-term or not,” said general manager Brian Gutekunst in a press conference Wednesday morning. “This is a neck injury, so we’ll take our time until we know what we know before we put him at any kind of risk.”
Gutekunst stressed the abundance of caution on the part of the Packers—or any team, really—when it comes to navigating head, neck, and heart issues. This is the latest inconvenience for Musgrave, who has yet to meet the expectations of his second-round pedigree.
Said head coach Matt LaFleur: “It is what it is. These are the circumstances you can control—it’s how you respond to those. There’s going to be opportunities for these other guys to see what they can do and how they can contribute.”
Musgrave was one of two tight ends brought aboard in the Packers’ 2023 class, along with a third-round pick in Tucker Kraft. Despite being the earlier of the two selections, Musgrave has, unfortunately, underperformed. He appeared in just 18 of the first 34 games to begin his career while fighting through multiple injuries, but played in all 17 a season ago.
He hasn’t fallen out of favor—the Packers are still enamored with the elite speed that he possesses for someone with a 6’6”, 253-pound frame. If weaponized properly, Musgrave still has the potential to be a true difference-maker and provide Jordan Love with a mismatch in the passing game. But for all of his unique traits, they don’t mean a thing if he can’t put them into action and leave his mark on the field; availability is the best ability.
“I know he may not have the production that he certainly wants up to this point in his career, but I do think he’s a—he’s got a legit, premier trait in terms of the speed, and you have to account for that on every play,” LaFleur said.
Musgrave caught 24 passes last season after just seven in as many games the year before. He hasn’t found the end zone since his rookie season.
While being outpaced by Kraft and even surpassed by Josh Whyle, Musgrave is running out of time to validate the Packers’ belief in him. Kraft is still recovering from the torn anterior cruciate ligament he sustained in a Nov. 2 game against the Carolina Panthers last season, and he isn’t going to be out of commission much longer. His return to the practice field for the first time since his injury is on the horizon, and Gutekunst is optimistic that he’ll be acclimated enough to play in the Packers’ Sept. 13 opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
A golden opportunity is presented for Musgrave in Kraft’s stead, but a pesky neck injury may prevent him from capitalizing on it.
The Packers have bolstered their tight end room in the meantime. Whyle, Messiah Swinson, Drake Dabney, Luke Lachey, R.J. Maryland, and Thomas Yassmin are at their disposal. Whyle, Swinson, and Dabney were all on the team a season ago, while Maryland was a post-draft priority free agent signing, and Lachey was signed in June. Yassmin, a former rugby player who qualifies for the Packers’ international exemption designation, was signed on Tuesday after a successful workout the day prior.