Contract extension is dream come true for Tucker Kraft

GREEN BAY – Just days from the beginning of his fourth NFL season, Tucker Kraft stood at his locker inside Lambeau Field and made his intentions clear.

Fully again from the torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended a promising 2025 marketing campaign, Kraft wasn’t leaving Green Bay. Despite being within the last 12 months of his rookie contract, the 6-foot-5, 259-pound tight finish seen himself as a Green Bay Packer.

Today. Tomorrow. Next season.

“I will be on the field to play for the Green Bay Packers, regardless of any contract situation, because I love this team,” mentioned Kraft on Sept. 1. “And you can’t replicate this locker room anywhere else in the NFL.”

Eleven days after Kraft voiced his dedication to the Packers, the group and its franchise tight finish agreed to a contract extension to maintain Kraft in Green Bay for the lengthy haul.

Drafted within the third spherical (78th general) out of South Dakota State in 2023, Kraft has shortly develop into a Packers pillar. On prime of being one of many league’s brilliant younger stars at tight finish, Kraft is already a two-time captain at 25 years outdated.

Between the white strains, Kraft is simply the third NFL tight finish since 2000 to put up 100-plus catches, 1,500-plus receiving yards, 15-plus receiving touchdowns and common 13.5-plus yards per catch in his first three NFL seasons.

The different two? Baltimore’s Mark Andrews (2018-20) and New England’s Rob Gronkowski (2010-12), who’ve 5 mixed first-team All-Pro picks between them.

Kraft was trending in that course final season earlier than tearing his ACL in November in opposition to Carolina. Heading into that recreation, Kraft was on tempo for 72 receptions, 1,139 yards and 7 TDs by the primary seven weeks of the season.

That trajectory, and Kraft’s function within the locker room, fueled his rehab, most of which he carried out in Green Bay this offseason.

“You know what you’re going to get from Tuck,” quarterback Jordan Love mentioned. “He wants to be out there; he wants to earn everything he does. Coming off the injury he had last year, he’s missed so much time where he’s hungry to be back out there and get rolling and start making plays now.”

Emotions have been excessive heading into final Sunday’s regular-season opener in Minneapolis, because it was a pseudo-home recreation for Kraft, who grew up Timber Lake, S.D., a small city of round 500 folks.

A bit greater than 24 hours faraway from signing a life-changing extension, Kraft had loads of household and pals in attendance for first recreation again following the ACL damage.

And the massive performs have been again, too.

Fittingly, one of many first completions of the Packers’ 2026 season was a 30-yard go down the seam from Love to Kraft. Late within the second quarter, Kraft caught a 23-yard go on second-and-8 to ignite a seven-play, 74-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 2-yard landing go to Christian Watson.

“Tuck’s what we want to be about,” Head Coach Matt LaFleur mentioned. “He shows up every day and puts his 100% into this thing. He does a great job. He’s obviously earned the respect from his teammates, being voted a captain, and he does things the right way. I love the style of play which he presents out on the field. You can’t have enough guys like Tucker Kraft.”

Kraft’s extension was the ultimate domino in a key offseason for the Packers, who additionally signed Watson and receiver Jayden Reed to new contracts earlier this 12 months.

Those three veterans and 2025 first-round choose Matthew Golden are anticipated to energy the Packers’ passing recreation this season and in years to come back.

Week 1 supplied a glimpse of what is attainable, as Green Bay’s offense tallied 10 explosive performs. Love threw for 387 yards, the second-most in an everyday recreation in his three-plus years because the Packers’ beginning quarterback.

“You guys see what we can do all together,” Reed mentioned. “That’s huge, to have all of us together, plus M.G., plus all the other playmakers we have. I think we can be the best in the league, me personally.”

The bittersweet half for Kraft is his return did not finish in a Packers victory, as Minnesota rallied within the fourth quarter to tug off the 39-22 comeback.

Kraft did his half, although. Playing 45 snaps, the fourth-year tight finish caught three passes for 65 yards. He not solely appeared again to full power but additionally demonstrated his progress as a route-runner.

Early on, Kraft made a reputation for himself as a bulldozing beneath pass-catcher who was inconceivable for defensive backs to get down, evidenced by the truth that, amongst tight ends with not less than 50 receptions since 2023, he leads in common yards after the catch (9.1) and ranks second in yards per catch (13.7).

Where Kraft strains up, his objective is identical – do not go down, maintain pushing.

“I’ll get the ball and will try to do all that YAC stuff regardless of where I catch the ball on the field,” Kraft mentioned after the Vikings recreation. “It was just good to be back out there. There’s not really a way to simulate games other than to just go out there and play. For my first game, I thought my main goal was just to play as clean as possible, don’t try to do anything crazy.”

Kraft mentioned he wasn’t planning to leap over anybody in his first recreation again. There have been no kip-ups, both. But they may come quickly sufficient.

Grateful to be a central piece within the Packers’ soccer future. Kraft is worked up to complete what he began with the group that introduced him into the NFL a bit of greater than three years in the past.

“Something I’ve always dreamed of, especially these last few years, is being a part of this organization for the long term,” Kraft mentioned.

“I’m looking forward to winning some games now. We need to get going as an offense. I feel the pressure. This team needs us to rise to the occasion, and we’re going to go out there and play some good football.”