The Green Bay Packers are playing things safe and putting star tight end Tucker Kraft on the injury list ahead of their 2026 NFL training camp next week.
According to the NFL’s daily transaction wire for July 27, the Packers placed Kraft — who tore the ACL in his right knee last November — on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Monday afternoon in a series of pre-camp roster moves.
Back in June, Kraft indicated it was likely that the Packers would start him on the PUP list at the beginning of camp and allow him time to slowly ease back into the mix, given his value to the team as a top offensive playmaker and the severity of his ACL injury.
With Kraft’s placement on the injury list now official, though, the question becomes: How long will the Packers wait before clearing the 25-year-old to return to practice?
The Packers also placed left guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Kamal Hadden, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and tight end Luke Musgrave on the PUP list to begin camp. All players on the PUP list are eligible to return as soon as the staff medically clears them.
Tucker Kraft Expects to Play Week 1 Without Pitch Count
While Kraft’s presence on the injury list at the outset of camp might seem discouraging, he didn’t seem worried about his recovery when speaking about his progress at OTAs.
Kraft is now roughly eight and a half months removed from his ACL surgery and told reporters that he felt “better than expected” shortly before crossing the seven-month mark in June. He also added that he had hit 21.5 miles per hour running in late May.
“I’m doing good,” Kraft said at June 10’s practice. “I’m doing better than expected. I really attribute it to the time and the commitment I put into my rehabilitation early on, the first three months. That really has catapulted me to where I am now. I feel great.”
Kraft also said, despite expectations of starting camp on PUP, that he anticipated being able to play for the Packers with “no pitch count” in their Week 1 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 13 — exactly 10 months from his ACL procedure.
“Starting camp on the PUP and coming off in camp, my anticipation is — they don’t really want us talking about our injuries and stuff, but with how I feel, I would say that I’m going to get all the conditioning I need in camp to start Week 1 on no pitch count,” Kraft said.
Luke Musgrave’s Injury Raises New Issues for Packers
The Packers’ decision to place Kraft on the PUP list came as little surprise to those who had heard the tight end’s own words about the situation last month. More surprising, though, was Musgrave — their No. 2 tight end — joining him on the list to start camp.
Musgrave sustained an undisclosed injury during the first of the team’s three minicamp practices on June 9, missing the subsequent two practices. At the time, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur declined to elaborate on the nature of Musgrave’s new injury.
Roughly six weeks later, though, it seems that Musgrave is still struggling with the issue and may not be ready when the team holds its first practice on Wednesday, July 29.
Like the other PUP players, Musgrave can return immediately once the Packers clear him of his undisclosed injury, but he will also leave the team shorthanded at the tight end position until he is healthy again — or until Kraft gets himself back on the field.
Packers Shut Down Tucker Kraft Amid Roster Moves Before Camp