The Green Bay Packers could return tight end Luke Musgrave from injured reserve before Monday night’s showdown with the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.
Musgrave, who has been on injured reserve since Week 4 after needing surgery to correct an ankle injury, has practiced with the team during each of the last two weeks, and LaFleur likes what he’s seen so far.
“Just watching him take a lot of the scout team reps, he’s running fast. We didn’t have pads on this week, but everything I’ve seen from him, he looks pretty good,” LaFleur said Friday.
Musgrave’s return could provide a boost in terms of a vertical threat and athletic complement to starter Tucker Kraft at tight end.
“He’s got something that you can’t really coach in terms of the speed he brings out there to the field,” LaFleur said. “If we can ease him back into it, it’d be really good for him and us.”
LaFleur said the Packers wouldn’t overload Musgrave with snaps or ask him to do anything he’s not confident in doing on a football field coming off a significant injury.
“He’s had enough experience, and I feel pretty comfortable with what we would ask him to do to go out there and play,” LaFleur said.
The Packers host the Saints on Monday night. Green Bay has three games left in the regular season, giving Musgrave ample time to ramp up before postseason play.
Musgrave caught five passes on seven targets for 22 yards during the Packers’ first four games of 2024. He was on the field for 108 snaps, or roughly 39 percent of the offense’s snaps. Kraft, a third-round pick last year, won the job as the starter coming out of training camp.
As a rookie, Musgrave caught 34 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown. He had 30 or more receiving yards in six of 11 games, and he added six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown over two postseason games.
