The Green Bay Packers are in a tight spot at tight end-literally. With injuries piling up and roster moves not going their way, Green Bay now finds itself down to just one healthy tight end on the 53-man roster. And any hopes of bringing back a familiar face to help patch the position were officially dashed on Christmas Day.
That familiar face? Marcedes Lewis.
The 41-year-old veteran, who spent five seasons in Green Bay from 2018 to 2022, was a locker room leader and a reliable blocking tight end during his time with the Packers. Many fans were hoping for a reunion, especially with the team’s depth chart in shambles.
But the Denver Broncos, who had Lewis stashed on their practice squad, promoted him to their active roster-closing the door on any potential return to Titletown.
Lewis, who’s appeared in four games for Denver this season, was never going to be a flashy fix. But his experience, physicality, and familiarity with the Packers’ system made him an appealing option. Unfortunately for Green Bay, the timing just didn’t work out.
The Packers' tight end room has been hit hard in recent weeks. Tucker Kraft, the team’s promising young starter, suffered a torn ACL against the Carolina Panthers back in November.
That was a major blow to a developing offense that had begun to lean on Kraft’s versatility. Then last week, blocking specialist John FitzPatrick went down with a torn Achilles-another brutal loss.
Add in Josh Whyle, who remains in concussion protocol for a second straight week, and the position has gone from thin to threadbare.
To make matters worse, Green Bay lost Ben Sims-a player they had hoped to shuffle back onto the practice squad-to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. Sims was claimed off waivers as the Packers tinkered with their roster, and now he’s suiting up in purple and gold.
That leaves just Luke Musgrave as the lone healthy tight end on the active roster. Musgrave, a rookie with plenty of upside, has shown flashes of big-play ability this season. But asking him to carry the entire load at the position, especially in the grind of late December football, is a tall order.
Behind Musgrave are two practice squad additions: McCallan Castles and Drake Dabney. Both were signed after Kraft’s injury, but neither has been elevated to the gameday roster yet.
Last week, the Packers rolled into their matchup against the Bears with just two tight ends available-Musgrave and FitzPatrick. Now, with FitzPatrick out, the coaching staff will have to make a decision: elevate one of the practice squad guys or get creative with personnel.
This is the kind of late-season adversity that tests a team’s depth and adaptability. The Packers are still in the playoff hunt, but they’ll need to find answers quickly-whether that’s trusting a young player to step up, adjusting their offensive packages, or scouring the open market for help. One thing’s for sure: the tight end room in Green Bay is running on fumes, and the road ahead doesn’t get any easier.