Packers' Luke Musgrave details finishing game with lacerated kidney: 'It’s football, you play with pain'

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Last month's Packers win over the Chargers carries a particularly painful memory for rookie tight end Luke Musgrave. The second round pick out of Oregon State hauled in a pass, got tackled and eventually landed on the football.

The play caused Musgrave's kidney to lacerate. But somehow, the 23-year-old was able to remain focused on playing the game instead of thinking about the intense amount of pain that he was likely feeling at the time.

Despite realizing that he had probably suffered a serious injury, Musgrave said that dealing with pain comes with the territory.

"I knew something was probably wrong, but it’s football," he said on Friday. "You play through pain and then it usually hurts more after the game."

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Luke Musgrave, #88 of the Green Bay Packers, scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field on November 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Musgrave recalls a postgame trip to the bathroom where he noticed blood in his urine, which prompted him to make a visit to the emergency room.

"I put the pieces together pretty quickly, kind of knew that was a problem," he said.

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Doctors then confirmed that Musgrave was suffering from a lacerated kidney. Because the severity increased overnight, doctors kept him for an additional night. While he avoided surgery, the injury derailed a strong debut season.

"Yeah, it wasn’t awesome," Musgrave said. "Internal organs are definitely a little bit different than