Heading into Week 9, the two most important players on the Packers roster are clearly Jordan Love and Micah Parsons at numbers 1 and 2— pretty much no doubters there. The next player on that list? You could easily argue it’s Tucker Kraft. The third-year tight end had entered superstar territory not only with his play on the field, but also through his impact in the locker room. That’s why it’s such a gut punch for this team — both on and off the field — to lose one of its most important pieces to a season-ending torn ACL.

Kraft has been one of Love’s top targets all season, and his numbers reflect it. With nine more games to play, Kraft was well on his way to a 1,000-yard receiving season and double-digit touchdowns. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until next season to see him reach those numbers. The question now becomes: who will fill that gap in the tight end room with Kraft on the shelf? Let’s take a deeper look at who the Packers will rely on at the position.

The honor of stepping into Kraft’s TE1 role goes to fellow third-year player Luke Musgrave. We all know Musgrave’s story by now. The former second-round pick — taken one round before Kraft in the 2023 NFL Draft — was penciled in as the starter and hopeful future centerpiece of Matt LaFleur’s tight end–heavy offense. But between untimely injuries (like a lacerated kidney) and inconsistent play (such as struggling to stay on his feet), Musgrave has yet to live up to his draft status. Kraft has clearly surpassed him as the star of that draft class.

Nonetheless, Musgrave is about to receive an opportunity most players don’t get — a second chance to reclaim a starting role and course-correct his career. Still only 25 years old, Musgrave has all the physical tools to help the Packers survive without Kraft. His ability to stretch the field with his size and speed will be crucial for Green Bay over the second half of the season and into the playoffs. At 6'6" and 253 pounds, he has the potential to be a matchup nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs alike. If Musgrave can stay healthy and play up to his potential — and if LaFleur doesn’t ask him to do too much — the drop-off might not be as steep as initially feared.

Behind Musgrave is fourth-year tight end John FitzPatrick. The former Atlanta Falcons draft pick has been with the Packers since being claimed off waivers last season and has worked his way from fringe roster player to meaningful contributor. After eight games, FitzPatrick has played 25% of the Packers’ offensive snaps — not far behind Musgrave’s 32%. Not nearly the receiving threat that Musgrave is, FitzPatrick’s role will continue to focus on blocking. With only five receptions for 24 yards and one touchdown this season, he brings more value as a blocker. Standing 6'7" and 250 pounds, he ranked third out of 80 eligible tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade metric during his final college season. Since entering the NFL, his grades have fluctuated but shown improvement this year — from a 49.0 in Week 3 to 56.5 after Week 8. With more opportunities coming his way, the hope is he’ll provide the blocking presence the Packers need without Kraft, and any bonus receiving production will be a plus.

Tuesday’s roster transactions brought the signing of the team’s newest active-roster member, tight end Josh Whyle. Once Kraft was placed on season-ending IR, the Packers added Whyle to fill his spot on the active roster and round out the postion. Another massive player at 6'7" and 248 pounds, Whyle presents an intriguing option in the passing game for someone previously stashed on the practice squad. He caught 37 passes for 342 yards (9.2 avg) and two touchdowns over 28 regular-season games with the Tennessee Titans. A fifth-round pick in the same draft class as Kraft and Musgrave — and someone the Packers hosted on a pre-draft visit — Whyle is an impressive athlete, recording an 8.94 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). The Packers love their high-level athletes, and Whyle fits their mold perfectly. What he can bring as a midseason call-up remains to be seen, but he’ll likely be eased into action over the next few weeks.

Tuesday’s roster moves also included two new practice-squad additions at tight end to backfill depth: McCallan Castles and Drake Dabney, yes those are 2 real people. Castles is a 2024 undrafted free agent out of the University of Tennessee who has already spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Chargers. He has yet to appear in an NFL game but is another intriguing athlete at the position. His 8.64 RAS ranked 157th out of 1,144 tight ends between 1987 and 2024. While he shouldn’t be counted on to contribute in 2025, he might have the ability to stick around next summer and compete for a TE3 spot.

Dabney, on the other hand, is a much more modest athlete. His 5.25 RAS ranked 591st out of 1,242 tight ends from 1987 to 2025. After going undrafted, he impressed enough during a rookie tryout with the Titans to earn a spot on their offseason roster. After being released at final cuts, he was signed to the practice squad but waived in mid-September. Since then, he’s had workouts with the Patriots and Browns but wasn’t signed by either team. It’s possible Green Bay lets the two of them battle it out on the practice squad for a few weeks before releasing one to free up a spot for another position. Based on athletic upside alone, Castles seems more likely to stick around. The hope at this point is the Packers don’t suffer any additional injuries at tight end, or things will get really interesting, and not in a good way.