It went from fear to fact on Monday, with tests confirming Tucker Kraft tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season, per ESPN. The loss stings for an offense already riding waves of inconsistency, something Jordan Love acknowledged when he called the unit up and down, citing turnovers and penalties as drive killers.
With Kraft sidelined, Green Bay now needs Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and especially Luke Musgrave to absorb targets while the run game steadies the floor.
CBS Sports framed the immediate trade chatter simply: once the Kraft news hit, the “obvious” external name was Browns tight end David Njoku.
League buzz wondered if the Packers would make a move, yet the expectation inside is that Green Bay sits tight, boosts Musgrave’s role, and leans on Josh Jacobs and the receiver group. The Packers already made their splash with Micah Parsons, and this front office rarely forces a deadline deal just to say it did.
That reads lines up with Cleveland’s posture. Adam Schefter reported the Browns are hunting young talent and do not sound inclined to trade Njoku before Tuesday’s deadline. Cleveland has been active already, adding Cam Robinson and Tyson Campbell while moving Greg Newsome II and Joe Flacco.
Njoku remains their TE1 on paper, a 2017 first-rounder and 2023 Pro Bowler with 27 catches for 260 yards and two scores in seven games, but rookie Harold Fannin Jr. has surged into a major role.
Contract-wise, Njoku is up after 2025, which invites speculation, yet local reporting indicates the Browns prefer to keep him and potentially extend, though they would listen if blown away. Other league voices have questioned the return, with some pegging a mid to late pick as the realistic range.
Pull the lens back, and the market math still points to patience. A midseason import would need fast chemistry with Love and real value in the run-pass option and play-action menu. Green Bay can also explore low-cost depth, elevate practice squad help, and feature heavier 11 personnel while Musgrave takes the TE snaps that used to be Kraft’s.
Earlier in the cycle, national chatter floated Greg Newsome II and Njoku as possible Browns chips if losses piled up. Even then, the subtext was that Cleveland wanted to support its young quarterback room and keep core pieces unless a firm offer, with player buy-in, made sense.
Would it be possible for the Packers to “get ahead” and sign Njoku?
