Luke Musgrave enters the 2026 season at a crossroads that Green Bay clearly did not want to reach this quickly.
The Packers still see the appeal. They drafted him 42nd overall in 2023, one round before Tucker Kraft, and for a stretch it looked like Musgrave might end up as the more valuable tight end.
That idea has faded. Injuries have kept him from building momentum, and even when he has been available, the production has never matched the physical tools.
At 6-foot-6, 253 pounds with a 4.61 40-yard dash, Musgrave has the kind of profile teams dream on at tight end. Green Bay has kept holding out hope because players with that blend of size and speed do not come around often.
But the results have been thin. In three seasons, he has 65 catches for 649 yards and one touchdown.
The latest setback makes the picture even murkier. A few weeks ago, Musgrave was placed on the active/PUP list with a neck injury that could very well be a long-term issue. That leaves his future with the Packers hanging in the balance.
His 2025 season did little to change the conversation. In 17 games, Musgrave caught 24 of 31 targets for 252 yards, averaged 10.5 yards per catch and recorded 11 first downs. With Kraft sidelined by a torn ACL, Musgrave had a clear opening to establish himself as a TE1, but he could not turn that chance into meaningful progress.
Still, there is some belief that the talent is too good to dismiss entirely. As Kalani Jones put it: "And yet, despite the extremely rocky beginning to his career, the Packers still have something of a lottery ticket in him.
He’s still only 25 years old, playing a position that can be extremely difficult to transition to the NFL in. He’s still got the speed and size that made him so intriguing in the first place."
If Musgrave gets healthy, Green Bay will give him a shot to settle in as a true TE2 behind Kraft. The problem is that the Packers may not be able to wait forever. Josh Whyle, who can at least block, is a real option to take that role if Musgrave cannot get back on the field and make the most of it.
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