The Green Bay Packers and Tucker Kraft have come together before Week 1 trying to solidify a contract that could alter the tight end market.
ESPN Wisconsin host Kyle Wallace believes one part of the eventual deal will be substantial.
“I really think he’s gonna get $30 million guaranteed. Easily,” Wallace said during a segment shared Friday by ESPN Madison. The clip came as Green Bay and Kraft continue negotiations with the regular-season opener against Minnesota approaching.
Will Tucker Kraft have a new contract before Sunday’s game?
@espnkylew x @KyleAndBrust | #GoPackGoThat prediction would put a significant floor under Kraft’s next contract, although $30 million guaranteed would still land within the neighborhood already established by the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends. The bigger breakthrough could come in annual value.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday that Kraft is trying to become the first tight end to reach the $20 million-per-year mark. Fowler described negotiations as “a bit of a standoff” but added that Green Bay hopes to complete an agreement by the end of Week 1.
Why $30 Million Guaranteed Would Fit Kraft’s Market
Kraft’s case became more complicated when he tore his ACL midway through last season, but his production before the injury strengthened his leverage.
In eight games in 2025, Kraft caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns. That followed a 2024 season in which he finished with 50 receptions for 707 yards and seven scores. His 15.3 yards per catch in 2025 also showed the explosive element he brings from a position often associated with shorter throws.
The recent tight end market gives Green Bay a clear framework. Kyle Pitts agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with Atlanta in June that included $36 million guaranteed, per NFL.com.
Trey McBride signed a four-year, $76 million extension with Arizona that included $43 million guaranteed. George Kittle received $40 million guaranteed on his four-year, $76.4 million extension with San Francisco.
That makes Wallace’s $30 million prediction look plausible rather than excessive. If Kraft crosses $20 million annually while receiving roughly $30 million guaranteed, Green Bay could hand him a record-setting average without matching the largest guarantee at the position.
For the Packers, that structure could offer protection after Kraft’s knee injury. For Kraft, the record annual figure would still carry meaning, particularly with LaPorta in Detroit also positioned for a major extension.
Packers Enter Week 1 With Contract Clock Still Running
The specific time it happens remains as important as the money.
Green Bay opens the season Sunday on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, and Kraft was absent from the Packers’ injury report released Thursday. His recovery has moved far enough along that the immediate question has shifted from whether he can play to whether the organization will secure him before he gets the chance to raise his price again.
Fowler’s report gives the two sides a natural target: the end of Week 1. There is no league-imposed deadline preventing talks from continuing after Sunday, but an agreement beforehand would eliminate one of Green Bay’s biggest unresolved financial questions.
Kraft is entering the final season of the rookie contract he signed after Green Bay selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. His original four-year deal was worth roughly $5.54 million.
The Packers have already seen enough to discuss placing him at the top of his position financially.
Now the question is how far they are willing to go on guarantees.
Assuming Green Bay also gives Kraft the $20 million-plus annual salary he is reportedly seeking, the Packers could have the NFL’s newest tight end market-setter before Week 1 is complete.
Packers’ Standout Predicted to Get $30 Million Guaranteed ‘Easily’ Amid Contract Buzz