Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave returned to practice on Wednesday, marking a significant step in his recovery process after a serious ankle injury that had sidelined him for two months. Musgrave, who was placed on injured reserve following the injury, underwent surgery and is now working his way back to full fitness. Reflecting on his time away from the field, Musgrave shared with reporters that watching practice had been the most difficult part. “It’s good to put the pads back on and the helmet and get back out there and join the guys again,” he said.
The return to practice activates the 21-day window for Musgrave, allowing the Packers to either move him to the active roster, return him to injured reserve, or potentially release him. Musgrave mentioned that he was unsure of the full extent of his injury at first, which occurred during the Packers’ Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the injury, he played in the following week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, though he never took the field during the game. He then tried to return to practice the week after but was shut down after one day and placed on injured reserve. Musgrave later learned that the injury required surgery, which was only confirmed after the Rams game.
On Wednesday, Musgrave was limited to individual drills, indicating that he likely won’t be ready to play in the Packers’ upcoming game against the Seattle Seahawks. When asked about his potential return to game action, Musgrave expressed uncertainty about the exact timeline. “As soon as practical,” he said, adding that he would return as soon as the team cleared him to play.
Musgrave was drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 42nd overall pick. He made an immediate impact, catching 34 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown in his first 11 games of the season. Although Musgrave’s injury has delayed his return, quarterback Jordan Love is eager to have him back on the field. “It’s been tough not having Luke out there, so to get him back healthy and back out on the field would be big time,” Love remarked, acknowledging how much the team has missed Musgrave’s presence.