The Green Bay Packers held joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, although numerous starters were absent due to injuries. This situation provided younger players with more opportunities to play, yet the first-team offense, missing quarterback Jordan Love, struggled to find rhythm and consistency during the session. Tucker Kraft pointed to the team’s overall youth and lack of experience as key factors behind these challenges.

Some of our youth showed a lot,

Kraft said, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

When we’re out there, the importance is knowing what to do and doing it at a really fast speed at a very consistent level, so our youth showed a little bit in some instances with the injuries that we have on our depth chart.

—Tucker Kraft, Tight End

Despite the difficulties, Kraft remains optimistic about the young players’ potential improvement in the upcoming practice with the Colts, ahead of their preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

You get these young guys in a situation where they might not be as confident in themselves as far as the textbook goes,

Kraft noted, according to Mike Spofford of Packers.com.

So they might not be surging off the rock, working edges, angles in the route game to the best of their ability. They got another shot with these guys, so we’ll just have to see how they do in Part 2.

—Tucker Kraft, Tight End

Preseason Injury Concerns Weigh on Green Bay’s Outlook

Jordan Love is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery to address a minor finger injury, adding to the Packers’ growing list of NFL preseason absences. Key players such as Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Xavier McKinney, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks are also recovering from various setbacks. The team hopes to have most of this core group ready to start the regular season at Lambeau Field against the Detroit Lions on September 7.

Implications for Packers’ Development and Season Prospects

With injury troubles forcing reliance on inexperienced players, the Packers face a critical period where young talents must rapidly adapt and perform under pressure. Tucker Kraft’s assessment underscores the need for these players to quickly learn and execute their roles at a fast, consistent pace. Their growth during the remaining preseason sessions could play a decisive role in the team’s effectiveness and depth as they prepare for the regular season challenges ahead.