Packers’ Matt LaFleur Gives Troubling Update on Tucker Kraft Injury After Loss

It was an ugly game across the board for the Packers, as the Panthers came to town in Week 9 and were able to muck up the game enough to give themselves a shot at an upset with a last-second field goal–which they converted to send Green Bay to its second such loss this season, by an ugly 16-13 count, a game frustratingly reminiscent of the Week 3 loss in Cleveland.

But by far, the story of the game was not so much in what happened on the scoreboard, but what happened early in the third quarter when breakout star tight end Tucker Kraft went down with a knee injury after awkwardly running into teammate Sean Rhyan on a running play.

There was hope that, perhaps, the injury would not be too bad, that maybe it’s just a minor MCL sprain that could see Kraft back in a week or two. That was until coach Matt LaFleur took the podium after the game.

While he did not officially pronounce what the injury is, LaFleur made clear that there isn’t much optimism in the Packers’ locker room on Kraft’s injury. He did not explicitly say it was an ACL tear, and perhaps testing will show otherwise, but it was clear that’s the fear.

“Yeah, it doesn’t look good,” LaFleur said.

Packers Were Dogged by Injuries to Tucker Kraft, Others in Week 9

Kraft has been brilliant this season as a pass-catcher and as a leader. He entered the game with 30 catches and 469 yards on the season, plus six touchdowns, coming in as the No. 3 tight end in the NFL in yardage and No. 2 in touchdowns. He is ranked the No. 2 tight end among players with at least 250 snaps this season at Pro Football Focus, behind Sam LaPorta of Detroit.

As Matt Schneidman of The Athletic posted, citing veteran NFL writer Michael Silver, “The fear is a torn ACL for Tucker Kraft, per @MikeSilver. Was evident based on Matt LaFleur’s tone just now. More testing to come, but a brutal loss for the Packers.”

LaFleur held out hope that the Packers can replicate Kraft’s production with backups Luke Musgrave and John FitzGerald, and Musgrave did make three catches for 34 yards–including a key 21-yard play–on the day.

Injuries dogged the Packers throughout the day as Matthew Golden also suffered an injury, and Christian Watson was sent briefly to the blue tent. But now it’ll be up to Musgrave to hold his own.

“He is gonna have to be, both him and Fitz,” LeFleur said. “It’s unfortunate because more than anything I know how much Tuck means to us, and he’s a big part of our team, a great leader. It’s hard to replace that but that happens with teams across the league. Unfortunately, we had a lot guys in and out of the lineup today, with MG and Christian was down for a minute. But it’s one of those things that you’ve got to be able to overcome.”

Tucker Kraft ‘Means a Lot’

Quarterback Jordan Love has been the biggest beneficiary of Kraft’s breakout season, and he conceded that things will be difficult for the Packers without him.

“Tuck means a lot, you know his leadership role and then I think his play on the field,” Love said. “He’s playing at a high level. We’ll see what the injury is but not having him out there for the rest of the game was huge. It’s one of those situations, though, where it is next man up. We gotta find ways to keep playing at a high level without him out there.”

Packers Show Faith in Luke Musgrave

But both LaFleur and Love offered votes of confidence for Musgrave, who was a second-round pick in 2023 but has yet to flash his full potential with the Packers.

“It’s gonna be tough but you’ve just got to attack it head on,” LaFleur said. “We have to do a great job of putting our guys in good positions to showcase what they can do. Luke has played a ton of ball for us and he is going to get more of an opportunity.”

Added Love: “Very comfortable with Luke. He has had his fair share of opportunities too, Luke has played a lot of ball. He made some big-time plays today. … Luke has played a lot of ball, got a lot of confidence in him.”

Mike Tomlin Declares Steelers Have 'Saved Their Season' After Stunning 27-20 Victory Over Colts

Just a week ago, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers had reached their lowest point of the season. A discouraging home loss to the Green Bay Packers on national television left fans frustrated and losing hope, but that narrative shifted on Sunday with a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers’ defense stepped up in a big way, holding the league’s top-ranked offense to its fewest points of the year while forcing six turnovers.

It felt like there was a completely different Steelers team on the field in Week 9 compared to the one we saw in Week 8. Despite a couple of hiccups, the defense played their best game of the season against the toughest opponent they’ve faced thus far in the Colts. 

In his postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin praised his team’s energy and focus throughout the week, saying it was exactly the kind of response he wanted to see after a disappointing showing against Green Bay.

"It was a tough week, but we certainly deserved it based on the last performance," Tomlin said. "I like the way the guys absorbed it and smiled in the face of it and prepared and waited for the next opportunity, that's the National Football League. It’s a big-time win for the collective."

The Steelers certainly made the most of that opportunity. After going three straight games without forcing a single turnover, the defense exploded for six takeaways against the Colts, intercepting Daniel Jones three times and recovering three fumbles. It once again was a flash of how good this defense really can be.

Inside linebacker Payton Wilson had a monster performance, compiling 14 total tackles to go along with two passes defended and an interception in the first half that completely changed the game's momentum. Joey Porter Jr. had his best game of the season, despite a couple of penalties. Porter made eight tackles to go along with a sack while defending four passes and sealing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.

Perhaps what makes the defensive performance that much more impressive is the fact that the Steelers were down multiple key contributors. Cole Holcomb, Chuck Clark, DeShon Elliott, Cory Trice, and Jabrill Peppers all sat out Sunday's game with injuries and illness, but those who did suit up were able to fill their shoes in route to the win.

Offensively, it wasn't a flawless performance, but it was enough to get the win. The Steelers totaled only 225 yards of offense while committing one turnover, but the Steelers took advantage of Indianapolis' mistakes and were able to get points when it mattered most. Pittsburgh scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter as well as 10 points in the fourth quarter to build their lead, which ended up being the difference.

Steelers Might've Saved Their Season With Big Win Over Colts

The victory couldn’t have come at a better time. The Steelers snap their two-game losing streak and remain in first place in the AFC North. Pittsburgh still has some difficult opponents ahead of them, but this win certainly has to be a confidence booster for a team that really needed it. After back-to-back weeks of giving up 33+ points, the Steelers held the highest-scoring offense in the NFL to just 20 points, and held potential MVP candidate 

Jonathan Taylor to just 45 rushing yards.

If the Steelers can carry the momentum from Sunday’s performance, they could be back in the hunt for a top seed in the AFC. A huge win over a strong, legitimate contender can shift the team’s mindset and boost confidence, and they’ll need to ride that energy with tough opponents coming up on the schedule.

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