Packers' GM Anticipates Tucker Kraft Will Return 'Sooner Rather Than Later'
The otherworldly tight end has two things to look forward to this summer.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Tucker Kraft was in the midst of what appeared to be an All-Pro campaign for the Green Bay Packers before sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a Nov. 2 game against the Carolina Panthers.
The devastating, season-ending injury knocked the then-24-year-old tight end out of commission, one day before he was set to celebrate his birthday.
Almost nine months later, the Packers have a belated birthday gift coming his way. Kraft is on the cusp of becoming one of the highest-paid—if not the highest-paid—players at his position in the near future. General manager Brian Gutekunst and team brass have been working closely with Kraft’s representation for months now in hopes of striking a deal, and while there hasn’t been any movement on that front yet, the hope is that Kraft will be rewarded by the time the regular season begins.
"Certainly, I think for both us and him, it’s in the best interest to try to get something done,” Gutekunst said in a press conference on Wednesday. The Packers’ general manager was at the podium to open training camp, an hour before the first practice of the summer is set to begin.
“But these things take time. We’ve gone through a bunch of extensions this summer, kind of knowing this was going to be the one right about now.”
If ink hits the dotted line, Kraft will be the sixth player issued an extension by the Packers since the start of the offseason. Starting center Sean Rhyan was extended, as were wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt. Kraft, however, is presumed to be the largest of the bunch, and rightfully so.
“We have a little bit of time because he’s just not there yet,” Gutekunst said. “But I would expect, hopefully, that would get done. But you never know how they’re going to go.”
The Packers have a strict nine-month post-surgery rule when it comes to players returning from significant injuries. They’re not permitted to practice until they’ve reached that benchmark, and that’s when conversations about returning to the field will come into play. Kraft is just shy of eclipsing that—he had reconstructive surgery in mid-November, so he’s right around eight-and-a-half months.
Even so, Gutekunst is optimistic that the otherworldly tight end will make his valiant return to the practice field in the very near future, opening the door for him to play in the Packers’ Sept. 13 opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I anticipate him being out there sooner rather than later,” Gutekunst said. “The more work he can get with Jordan [Love] in particular—even if he’s not ready for the team part of it—the more individual work he can get done with Jordan is important for him as he gets into the season. We’ve had a lot of discussions about that and the timing of it.
“Obviously, we want to be protective. He’s coming off a major injury, and he’s still at about that eight-and-a-half-month mark. But by the way he looks, you’d think he’s ready to go. When you see him out there, it’s a little bit like Christian [Watson]; they look really, really good early. But there’s a lot of science behind the nine-month mark. So, we’ll be very cautious as we head into it.”
Kraft, a third-round pick of the Packers in 2023, had appeared in all 42 career regular-season games prior to his injury, starting 33 of them. Through eight games last season, he recorded 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns, including two 120-plus-yard performances.