The Green Bay Packers might have to finish off their 2026 mandatory veteran minicamp without one of their potential opening-day starters on the field.
According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, Packers tight end Luke Musgrave exited early from the first of three minicamp practices on June 9 with an unspecified injury and did not participate in the June 10 practice, working with the rehab group instead.
“Matt LaFleur won’t specify Luke Musgrave’s injury, but he’s on the treadmill in the rehab area to start practice,” Schneidman wrote Wednesday on X.
Packers.com’s Wes Hodkiewicz later confirmed that Musgrave was one of 17 Packers players who did not participate in the team’s second minicamp practice on June 10.
Musgrave — a 2023 second-round pick — is in line to potentially open the 2026 season as the Packers’ starting tight end if star teammate Tucker Kraft is not ready to return from the ACL injury that he sustained in November 2025. Should his minicamp injury linger through the summer and into training camp, though, it could mean trouble.
Josh Whyle, Messiah Swinson and undrafted rookie R.J. Maryland were the only tight ends available for the Packers’ second minicamp practice on June 10. Drake Dabney, a 2025 practice-squad holdover, is also not practicing along with Kraft and Musgrave.
Packers Hope Tucker Kraft Will Return During Camp
The Packers might have concerns about the depth of their tight end room if Musgrave’s new injury is still bothering him when they report for 2026 training camp in late July, but there are still hopes that their No. 1 guy — Kraft — will be back on the field by then.
During OTAs last month, LaFleur said that the team is “hopeful” that Kraft will be back on the practice field at some point during training camp, if not by the start. Kraft will be more than 250 days removed from tearing his ACL by then, putting him on an ideal trajectory to gradually ramp up and be ready for Week 1’s opener on September 13.
Kraft also indicated that he was “ahead of schedule” in his recovery back in January.
“By the time Week 1 rolls around, I’ll be 10 months post-surgery and hopefully bulletproofed by then,” Kraft said. “I already feel pretty good. My progress so far has been great. Some would say even ahead of schedule.”
Aaron Banks and Javon Hargrave Also Sustained Injuries
The Packers also spent their second straight practice without left guard Aaron Banks or defensive tackle Javon Hargrave — both projected starters for 2026 — after adding them to the injury report with undisclosed injuries during June 9’s first minicamp practice.
Banks signed a massive four-year, $77 million contract with the Packers in last year’s free agency to become their new starting left guard, but he dealt with lingering injuries throughout the 2025 season and wound up their most inconsistent offensive lineman. He is likely to start again in 2026 if he is healthy, but an injury could open the door for him to lose his starting spot to younger blood, such as fifth-round rookie Jager Burton.
Meanwhile, Hargrave was one of the Packers’ most expensive free-agent investments in March, signing a two-year, $23 million contract with them after the Minnesota Vikings cut him loose for salary-cap savings. He tallied 52 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 16 games for the Vikings last season, but he is also 33, making his injury a slightly greater concern.
According to USA Today’s Ryan Wood, Banks and Hargrave joined a group of 17 non-participants for Wednesday’s second minicamp practice. Other notables on the list included Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt, Zach Tom and Isaiah McDuffie.
The Packers will hold one more mandatory minicamp practice on June 11 and three more voluntary OTA practices next week before breaking for the summer until camp.
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