GREEN BAY, Wis. – Tucker Kraft’s breakout season with the Inexperienced Bay Packers is over.
Exams on Monday confirmed that the tight finish tore the ACL in his proper knee in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers, sources informed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter. The Packers feared that will be the case and have been bracing to play the remainder of this season with out their main receiver.
Kraft was on tempo for greater than 70 catches and 1,100 yards, which might have been the very best marks by a good finish in Packers historical past.
“It’s going to be robust, however you’ve acquired to assault it head on,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur stated Sunday of the attainable lack of Kraft. “We’ve acquired to do an amazing job of placing our guys in good positions to showcase what they will do.”
Luke Musgrave, who was really picked one spherical sooner than Kraft within the 2023 draft, now takes over because the No. 1 tight finish. Musgrave was a second-round decide (No. 42 total), whereas Kraft was a 3rd rounder (No. 78 total).
“Yeah, completely, and he’s going to need to be,” LaFleur stated when requested if Musgrave is prepared for an even bigger position. “Each him and [John] Fitz[Patrick]. It’s unlucky as a result of, greater than something, I understand how a lot Tuck places into this and he’s an enormous a part of our staff, an amazing chief, and it’s arduous to exchange that. However that occurs with groups throughout the league.”
Kraft’s harm occurred whereas blocking on a working play, and it appeared Packers guard Sean Rhyan acquired minimize blocked into Kraft.
“I acquired f—— minimize on my pull, so I don’t know what occurred,” Rhyan stated. “All I do know is that mom f——‘s helmet was into my knees. He went low on me, so I needed to attempt to keep away from my knees getting clipped out, too. So it’s a type of issues of horrible circumstances and s—, simply didn’t come out proper for us.”
The Packers (5-2-1) additionally completed Sunday’s recreation with out receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder), left guard Aaron Banks (stinger) and defensive sort out Colby Picket (shoulder). They play the Philadelphia Eagles subsequent Monday evening.
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