It's never enjoyable to take two losses in one day, but that's precisely what happened to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field, as they not only suffered a 16-13 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers but also seemed to have lost rising star Tucker Kraft to a season-ending knee injury.
Early in the third quarter, Kraft was coming across the field to make a block on a Josh Jacobs run. Unfortunately, Green Bay guard Sean Rhyan was pushed back by a Panthers defender on the play, causing him to collide with Kraft's right knee, at which point the third-year tight end immediately hit the deck, clearly in agony as he clutched his leg.
Kraft, who came into the game as one of the NFL's top tight ends with 469 yards and six touchdowns and had added 20 yards on two catches before his injury, is feared to have suffered a torn ACL, which would obviously bring his 2025 campaign to a close.
As such, 2024 second-round draft pick Luke Musgrave moves into the TE1 slot on the Packers' depth chart, with John FitzPatrick sliding into the TE2 spot.
Matt LaFleur may be content with just riding that duo the rest of the way, but with Green Bay still having a little time to make a move before Tuesday afternoon's trade deadline, general manager Brian Gutekunst would be wise to give the Cleveland Browns a call to inquire about the availability of David Njoku, who seems like an obvious target to step in and fill Kraft's shoes.
The Packers should consider trading for David Njoku if the Browns will change their mind
Okay, so the big thing here is that just this past Saturday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Browns, who sit in dead last in the AFC South at 2-6, with one of those two victories coming against the Packers in Week 3, apparently "do not sound inclined" to trade Njoku. In fact, Cleveland could end up being buyers at the deadline, as Schefter says they've been "calling around the league looking to add quality young players to their roster."
That doesn't seem to make sense, but a lot of what Cleveland does fits that statement.
As it pertains to Njoku, hanging on to the ninth-year veteran certainly doesn't make sense, seeing as how rookie Harold Fannin Jr. has clearly become the Browns' No. 1 option at tight end and actually leads all Cleveland pass-catchers in receptions (38) and receiving yards (352) and ranks second in targets (51) behind only Jerry Jeudy (54).
It's not that Njoku isn't being used at all, as he ranks third in targets (41) and second in both receptions (27) and yardage (260), and is tied for the team lead with Fannin and Cedric Tillman with two receiving touchdowns. But again, he's starting to take a backseat to Fannin.
Furthermore, Njoku is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. So, why wouldn't Cleveland want to get something for him instead of simply letting him walk out the door?
Now, it has been reported by Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot that the Browns could "extend Njoku before his contract is up in March, or let him test the market to help set his price." She also followed up by saying, "It seems to me that Njoku wants to finish his career here and that the Browns would like to have him back," but also said Cleveland would listen if the right offer came along.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer echoed that thought recently, saying, "If Cleveland gets a firm offer and Njoku signs off on the idea—the team would want to do right by him."
So, it certainly seems Njoku could be had if the right deal came along. The Packers may not be willing to offer what Cleveland might require for a three-month rental, but it's certainly a call worth making, as Njoku could undoubtedly come in and contribute immediately in Kraft's absence.