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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterOct 10, 2024, 04:48 PM ET
- Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are expected to be without tight end Luke Musgrave for at least another month because of the ankle injury he sustained in Week 4 against the Vikings.
Musgrave, a second-year pro who was the team’s leading receiver among tight ends last season, is “more than likely” headed to injured reserve, coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday.
This comes just one day after Musgrave was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. He was active for Sunday’s win over the Rams but did not get in the game; he was available only in case of emergency.
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“Which speaks to his toughness and competitiveness,” LaFleur said. “The fact that he even suited up this last game was pretty impressive. I don’t think we understood how serious it was, and so, he’s going to be down for a minute.”
LaFleur said the team hopes to get Musgrave back this season. If he does go on injured reserve, the soonest he would be eligible to play is Nov. 17 against the Bears, which is after the Packers’ bye.
“I knew that he might’ve been in some pain,” fellow Packers tight end Tucker Kraft said Thursday. “He’s on the mend now; that’s what’s important.”
While Kraft had surpassed Musgrave as the team’s No. 1 tight end this season, the Packers like to use multiple-TE sets. After catching 34 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie last season despite missing six games because of a lacerated kidney, Musgrave had only five catches for 22 yards this season before he exited the Vikings game.
Kraft, who is coming off a two-touchdown game against the Rams on Sunday, ranks second on the team with 22 catches for 218 yards and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches.
Kraft was added to the injury report with a groin injury and was listed as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice.
The Packers are expected to use Musgrave’s roster spot when he goes on injured reserve on tight end John FitzPatrick. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers signed him off the Falcons’ practice squad Thursday. FitzPatrick, a sixth-round pick in 2022, has appeared in nine career games.
Second-year pro Ben Sims, who has four career catches for 21 yards and a touchdown but hasn’t caught a pass yet this season, is expected to see more snaps.
