Tucker Kraft is truly irreplaceable, and that statement has been reinforced in both games without him.
The Green Bay Packers knew Luke Musgrave couldn't replace Kraft's production. He's a different player. Kraft wins with his physicality after the catch, whereas Musgrave is more of a vertical threat with his speed and athleticism. But we've seen precious little of that in the two games since Kraft's injury, and it sure looks like the Packers have already given up.
After a disastrous start to the game, Matt LaFleur effectively benched his former second-round pick at halftime. Musgrave played just 19 snaps, fewer than Josh Whyle (20) and John FitzPatrick (35).
Packers gave up on Luke Musgrave midway through the win over Giants
Musgrave contributed fewer yards than you or me in the Packers' win over the New York Giants, catching one pass for minus one yard. He also fumbled once and dropped another pass, which had also initially been ruled a fumble.
LaFleur can't rely on him to block, and if he's failing to make an impact as a pass-catcher, he becomes unplayable. According to Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Company, Musgrave played only two snaps in the second half.
Two.
It's concerning when Musgrave, a 2023 second-round pick, is getting out-snapped by a tight end the Packers signed to the active roster from their practice squad on November 4. Whyle was a fifth-round pick in the same draft class as Musgrave, but signed with Green Bay's practice squad after failing to make the Tennessee Titans' final roster this summer.
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It's a significant shift at tight end. Musgrave played 30 snaps in Week 9, coming off the bench to replace Kraft, and then 52 in a full-time role against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. But his 18 snaps this week were his fourth-fewest all season, and most of those games were as a backup to Kraft. He's supposed to be the TE1 in Kraft's absence.
Musgrave does offer some pass-catching talent, but he isn't making enough of an impact there. And the Packers can't trust him to consistently make plays as a blocker. Defenses know that, too.
The Packers have paper-thin depth at tight end following Kraft's injury. How quickly they sent Musgrave to the bench is a massive statement, but not surprising. LaFleur had no choice.