Josh Whyle went from being cut by the Tennessee Titans to being a key contributor of the Green Bay Packers, and it only took one season. Whyle was listed as the biggest surprise player for the Packers in 2026 by Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
Demovsky notes that Whyle emerged last year for the team, and while they have a couple of options at tight end, there is a real expectation that Whyle is going to be in the mix.
This is needed because the Packers’ offense runs through the tight end, and while they have Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave ahead of him on the depth chart, both enter the season with questions.
Josh Whyle Has Emerged As a Surprise Player for the Green Bay Packers
GettyTucker Kraft #85 of the Green Bay Packers
Kraft is entering his fourth year and has started to emerge as one of the best tight ends in football over the past two years. However, he will be recovering from an ACL injury that he suffered halfway through last season.
Kraft is expected to return early in the year, if not make a push for a Week 1 return. Still, with his recovery, there is a question of how effective he will be early in the season. Beyond that, there will be plenty of work available in the offseason as the team does not want to overload Kraft in training camp.
This can open chances for Whyle to integrate into the offense more.
On top of that, Musgrave has not taken adequate steps to be considered a strong second tight end. He is entering his fourth NFL season, and his career high in yards was 352. However, this was done in his rookie season.
He had an injury in his second season and then only had 252 yards, despite Kraft missing half of the year. In a perfect world, the Packers are a team that leans into two-tight-end looks more often.
So, even if Kraft returns, he would be viewed as the more traditional, in-line blocking tight end. Whyle could push Musgrave, who does not have a strong lock on the second tight end job.
Josh Whyle Has a Golden Opportunity With The Packers
Whyle is obviously coming in as the third option if all tight ends are healthy. However, his most productive year was 248 yards, so his production levels are already not far off from Musgrave’s.
Whyle was a fifth-round pick in 2023 by the Tennessee Titans, during the same draft as Musgrave and Kraft. He only produced 94 yards in his rookie year, but then advanced to his career-high in yards. In 2025, the team drafted Gunner Helm, and it pushed him out of a chance to see the field. The Titans decided to move on from him.
So, he came along slowly with Green Bay, given that he was on a new team and was only released right before the start of the year. He only managed 36 yards, but the arrow is pointing up on his stock entering the new season. Whyle has a great opportunity with the Packers.
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