BREAKING: Panthers’ Ejiro Evero Sends Strong Message About Matt LaFleur, Packers Ahead of Week 9 Clash
Green Bay, WI — Ejiro Evero, the Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator, has made it clear he’s bringing his A-game ahead of Sunday's highly anticipated matchup against the Green Bay Packers
Evero’s Personal Connection to the Packers — A Look Back at His Time in Green Bay
Evero, who spent a season with the Packers in 2016 as a defensive quality control coach, knows Green Bay well. Since his departure, he’s gone on to work with the
Before the
“I have a great opportunity this week, facing a very good football team, well-coached by Coach LaFleur and Coach Stanovich and their entire staff,”
Evero’s respect for the Packers is clear, but he also knows the challenge that lies ahead for his defense.
Panthers Aim to Bounce Back After Week 8’s Disastrous Loss
Despite Evero’s optimism, the Panthers will enter Lambeau Field coming off a
“We know Green Bay is a good team,” Evero said. “This is going to be a great challenge, but we’re excited for it. Our defense is ready to step up and prove ourselves against one of the league’s top offenses.”
Green Bay’s Offense: A Major Test for Evero’s Defense
With Jordan Love continuing to thrive as the Packers’ leader and their offensive line clicking, the Panthers’ defense will have to find ways to contain the Packers' attack.
“We’re facing a quarterback who’s playing with incredible confidence right now,” Evero said. “Love’s been making plays all over the field. We’ve got to be on our A-game to limit his opportunities.”
Forgotten Packers tight end is attracting multiple trade offers
The Green Bay Packers no longer need Luke Musgrave. The third-year tight end is not involved in the offense as a pass catcher, drawing seven targets all year. Even for blocking assignments, the Packers have deployed him sparingly. There is an obvious reason for his relegation to the sidelines. That reason is Tucker Kraft, who has emerged as one of the NFL’s top tight ends and already notched two 100-yard games this season. With Kraft on the field for 469 snaps, third-most among tight ends, Musgrave is simply irrelevant.
His status on the roster is clear for all to see, and teams are calling the Packers with buy-low offers. Per Easton Butler of Packer Report, both the Chiefs and Jaguars have had a chat with GM Brian Gutekunst about the possibility of acquiring Musgrave. So far, the offers haven’t been good enough to pique the Packers’ interest.
Despite all the injuries, Musgrave is worth more than three magic beans
Via Butler:
Even with Musgrave’s reduced role in Green Bay, there is value in having him around in case Kraft gets injured, or just to plug him here and there to give the TE1 a breather. How bad would it look if the Packers flipped Musgrave for a 5th-round pick and Kraft got hurt two weeks later? He has already had one injury scare this season, a knee injury in practice that, thankfully, ended up being minor.
Green Bay Packers: Will Luke Musgrave's Return Affect Tucker Kraft? Matt LaFleur Teases Big Plans for 2-Tight Ends Attack 2 Tight ends Kraft (85) and Luke Musgrave (88) during the 2023 Green Bay Packers’ rookie minicamp on Friday, May 5, 2023 at the Don Hutson Center indoor practice facility in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Of course, with John FitzPatrick also available for backup duties – the Packers have some flexibility. A former 213th overall pick, FitzPatrick probably doesn’t have Musgrave’s ceiling, whatever that may be at this point in his career, even with the latter’s injury history. Still, FitzPatrick is a body at the tight end position.
Musgrave himself is a former 2nd round pick, taken 42nd overall in 2023, the same draft in which Green Bay chose Kraft 36 picks later. Injuries limited Musgrave to 18 games during his first two seasons, paving the way for Kraft to surge ahead of him on the depth chart. Before injuries erased his rookie December, he was the more featured of the two tight ends in Green Bay’s offense. In 11 games he caught 34 passes for 355 yards.
In the playoffs that year, it was Musgrave, not Kraft, who produced at a higher clip. In the Wild Card Round against Dallas, he hauled in three catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Packers fired up about Luke Musgrave's 2025 upside 2 Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (88) catches a pass during Green Bay Packers Family Night on Aug. 2, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
Health issues caught up to him last season, however, and Kraft was well on his way taking over the lead role, anyway. Musgrave totaled 45 receiving yards in seven games last season and has six receptions for 54 yards in 2025. Clearly he is dispensable, meaning the Packers should listen to offers, and yes FitzPatrick exists, but he is valuable enough as a backup that they shouldn’t throw him away for cheap.
