While all indications are that Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft is going to be ready for Week 1, the star tight end started training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. However, according to General Manager Brian Gutekunst, the placement on the list is mostly a formality, and he is just days away from returning to the football field.
Kraft sustained his injury on November 2. So, based on the Packers’ plan of letting him resume activity after nine months, he would be on track to return around August 2.
Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Sets Timeline for Tucker Kraft Return
GettyPackers tight end Tucker Kraft.
Gutekunst was very optimistic about the recovery process for Kraft, and all of the indications are that he likely could have returned earlier. However, the Packers have a rule that players do not return to football activities until they are nine months removed from the injury.
Kraft likely did not fail any physical or conditioning testing because the team did not want him to get on the field yet.
Of course, Gutekunst did not completely note when the exact date of the surgery took place; it likely happened within the week of the injury.
So, Kraft should return within the next two weeks. The timing will be valuable to both Kraft and the Packers.
For Kraft, he can start to make progress on his contract negotiations once the Packers see him back on the field. There is a chance that he is the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. For the Packers, they are already thin at tight end, and Kraft is a valuable asset to their offense.
Green Bay Packers Need Tucker Kraft Healthy in 2026
Kraft had been ascending every year of his NFL career. He went from 355 yards as a rookie up to 707 yards in his second NFL season. However, the ACL injury ended his year after just eight games, so he could not quite match the production.
While the total volume was not the same, he did go from 41.6 yards per game all the way up to 61.1 yards per game. He might not have maintained that much of a difference, but he was on pace to set career highs in all areas.
The Packers were 5-2-1 when he was in the lineup. Without him, they went 4-5 in the regular season and then lost their playoff game. The team lost a heap of other players, but it is clear that Kraft is a valuable piece to this offense.
That is why they are likely to set the market with his salary this offseason. Kraft is entering the last year of his deal. He would set an instant bidding war that would make him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL if he left via free agency.
His age and production make the decision a no-brainer. If they feel good about his health, the decision gets even easier.
It would not be a surprise if Kraft returned in two weeks, signed an extension two weeks after that, and then saw the field for the first week of the regular season shortly after that.
Packers GM Reveals Tucker Kraft Return Timeline