The Green Bay Packers, like every other team in the NFL, have already done the majority of their work this offseason. While the team made it to the playoffs for the third straight year, the goal heading into the 2026 campaign is going to involve finding a way to make a deeper run in the playoffs this time around.
The good news for the Packers is that they have a solid core group of players leading the way on both sides of the ball. For much of last season, it seemed like tight end Tucker Kraft was joining that group, but a torn ACL disrupted his progress. However, he is progressing well in his quest to get back on the field for Week 1 of the upcoming season, but before that happens, it sounds like Green Bay wants to take care of his contract situation.
Packers Eyeing Tucker Kraft Contract Extension
Green Bay selected Kraft in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has gradually become a more and more reliable target for Jordan Love in the passing game. Kraft showed what he was capable of during his second season in 2024, as he caught 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns, which cemented his status as the team’s top tight end.
When he was on the field last season, though, Kraft looked capable of being one of the top tight ends in the league. In his eight games before he suffered his aforementioned ACL injury, Kraft hauled in 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns. Had his campaign not come to a premature end, Kraft was well on his way to earning the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Returning from a torn ACL is never a sure thing, but Green Bay seems encouraged by the progress Kraft has been making. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, the overarching expectation is that Kraft will be the next player to earn a contract extension from the Packers after both Jayden Reed and Christian Watson signed big-money deals earlier this offseason.
“The team believes (Kraft) is on pace to resume his role this season, league sources indicated,” La Canfora reported. “The Packers have a strong history of retaining their best young players, including recently with oft-injured receiver Christian Watson, and rival executives believe it’s unlikely the Packers would have made that deal without having a sense of what Kraft will cost … ‘That’s the next domino to fall (at tight end),’ one personnel executive opined.”
Packers Operating with a Sense of Urgency in Tucker Kraft Contract Talks
GettyTight end Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers.
In what is the quietest period of the offseason, we have seen a pair of tight ends (Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons and Brenton Strange of the Jacksonville Jaguars) receive new contracts over the past few days. That provides a benchmark for Kraft, who has been more consistent than both of those guys, but is also coming back from a serious injury.
Chances are Kraft will earn a three-year deal from Green Bay, and while he should surpass the $48 million Strange got from the Jags, it’s tough to tell whether or not the team will give him more money than the $54 million Pitts got from the Falcons. Regardless of what the final figure ends up being, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kraft receive a new contract before the start of the upcoming campaign.
Packers Reportedly Turn Attention to Tucker Kraft Contract Extension After Latest Moves