Josh Whyle didn’t exactly set the world on fire in Tennessee. The Titans drafted him in the fifth round back in 2023, kept him around for two seasons, then cut him loose in August of 2025. That move is starting to look like a miscalculation.
Whyle landed on Green Bay’s practice squad later that month, got elevated to the active roster in early November, and played sparingly down the stretch — five catches, 36 yards, one touchdown. Nothing that jumps off the stat sheet. But something has shifted this offseason.
Whyle’s Been Running With the 1s
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Whyle has taken significant snaps with the starting offense during OTAs and minicamp. That’s noteworthy because Tucker Kraft is still the clear TE1 and Luke Musgrave is still on the roster. But the Packers clearly see something in their third tight end.
“Whyle took significant snaps with the starters this offseason after catching just five passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in eight games last season for the Packers, who signed him to their practice squad after Tennessee released him,” Demovsky wrote.
And it’s not just the coaches who are impressed. Kraft himself was asked about Whyle and didn’t hold back.
“We can’t believe that the Titans would let a product like that go,” Kraft said, per Demovsky. “And we’re fortunate to have him.”
That’s a pretty strong endorsement from the guy whose job isn’t in any danger.
What Whyle Brings to the Table
Whyle profiles as a blocking tight end first and foremost. That’s the kind of player who doesn’t usually make headlines. But the Packers love to run the ball. They want to pound you, control the clock, and make you defend every inch of the field. A tight end who can seal an edge or clear out a linebacker in the run game is valuable even if he’s not putting up receiving numbers.
And if Whyle can develop into a reliable target underneath — a safety valve for Jordan Love on third-and-medium — then Green Bay might have found something for nothing. The Packers didn’t make any big splash moves to replace the wide receivers they lost this offseason. Maybe that’s because they think they’ve already got the answer in the tight end room.
Whyle still has to prove it when the pads come on and the games count. But the buzz is real right now. It’ll be interesting to see if that carries into training camp.
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