Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed tight end Tyler Davis suffered a “pretty significant injury” during their preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday.
Davis caught two passes for nine yards, with his first being a five-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. Unfortunately, Davis’ second reception ended in a hard hit from rookie corner DJ Ivey, which left him slow to get up before limping off the field.
After being looked at by trainers, Davis was carted to the locker room. The Packers later announced he had sustained a knee injury.
Judging by LaFleur’s postgame comments, it doesn’t sound like Davis will be back anytime soon.
“TD, my heart hurts for him. He’s been a key contributor to our success the last couple of years,” said LaFleur. “Whether it’s on teams or carving out a role on our offense, he’s the consummate professional. Great teammate, great human.”
“We’re going to miss him.”
In two seasons with Green Bay, Davis has appeared 31 games and caught eight passes for a total of 61 yards. He has had a far greater impact on special teams, where he led the team in snaps (346) in 2022.
The Packers will miss Davis’ presence on special teams during the 2023 season. His injury also leaves LaFleur’s team thin at tight end, where rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft will need to step up and play even bigger roles. Josiah Deguara and Henry Pearson are listed at fullback, leaving Austin Allen as the only true tight end backup. An addition could be coming at the position in the next few days.
