After emerging as one of Jordan Love‘s preferred targets over the past two years, Tucker Kraft is now in line for an extension. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst told reporters that the front office has already been in contact with Kraft’s camp about “how the organization feels about him”, and extension talks “will happen in the near future,” per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Kraft is currently rehabbing a torn ACL that ended his 2025 campaign prematurely. The 2026 season will represent the final year of the former third-round pick’s rookie contract.
After showing flashes as a rookie in 2023, Kraft had a breakout showing in 2024. After leaping fellow 2023 draftee Luke Musgrave on the depth chart, Kraft proceeded to haul in 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. He was set to exceed those numbers in 2025. Through the first half of the season, the tight end was averaging a career-high 61.1 yards per game, and his six touchdowns had him on pace for double-digit scores.
Unfortunately, Kraft’s season ended in November after he suffered a serious knee injury. While the tight end isn’t targeting a specific return date, he did recently tell the team website that he’s hoping to be “bulletproof” by the start of the 2026 season. Kraft also noted that he didn’t experience any complications from his surgery.
Other than impending free agent Romeo Doubs, the Packers are set to return their same grouping of pass catchers in 2026. However, only 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden is attached to a contract beyond that campaign. While the team will surely look to lock in some of those receivers, it makes sense that the front office would put in a concerted effort to extend their pass-catching tight end.
While the injury may partly influence the Packers’ offer, the team is surely anticipating Kraft to command a lucrative long-term deal. $20MM in guarantees wouldn’t even put the player in the top-10 at his position, and a $14MM AAV would put him just inside the top-five among tight ends. 2022 fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson would likely be the starting point in negotiations; the Cowboys tight end inked a four-year, $52MM deal ($21.4MM guaranteed) last summer.