GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Tucker Kraft and the Green Bay Packers haven’t agreed on a contract extension just yet, but the star tight end and his team are on the same page regarding the timing of a new deal.
The sooner, the better.
“I think it would be best,” Kraft said following the Packers’ first practice of training camp on Wednesday, “if we got it done as soon as possible.”
Kraft later detailed why time is of the essence.
“I think the best chance for
Green Bay to win a Lombardi (Trophy) is with me on the field as well," Kraft said. "That’s people under the front office telling me that and the importance of us getting this deal done in a timely fashion. But ultimately, like I’ve said over and over again, I’m just so grateful to be a part of this organization, and I would like to keep it that way.”
Kraft is on the physically-unable-to-perform list after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Nov. 2 during a 16-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, ending his 2025 season.
He didn't take part in practice Wednesday, but did run routes and catch passes on his own with a team staffer while his teammates worked at the other end of Ray Nitschke Field.
Kraft was one of nine players who didn't practice while on the PUP list, a group that included All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons (knee), backup tight end Luke Musgrave (neck) and starting defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (knee). Starting left guard Aaron Banks was activated off the PUP list and practiced.
“I was very eager,” Kraft said of watching practice. “I wanted it to be my turn all the time.”
Kraft caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games last year. Kraft made the case during the offseason that he was the NFL’s best tight end at the time of his injury.
His best game of the season came the week before the injury, when he caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Jordan Love in a 35-25 victory at Pittsburgh.
Kraft said last month that he intends to play in the team’s Sept. 13 season opener at Minnesota without any snap-count restrictions, and general manager Brian Gutekunst said Wednesday that he believes Kraft is trending toward practicing “sooner rather than later,” although he didn't provide a timeline.
“Even when he’s not ready for the team (periods), the more individual work he can get done with Jordan is going to be important for him as he heads into the season,” Gutekunst said.
“Obviously, we want to be protective. He’s coming off a major injury and he’s still at about that 8 1/2-month mark. But the way he looks, you’d think he’s ready to go.”
Asked if he feels an urgency to get Kraft’s extension done after inking three other key players — defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed — to long-term extensions, Gutekunst said those deals were done knowing Kraft’s would be done next.
“There’s been discussions. Certainly both us and him (feel) it’s in the best interest to try to get something done, but these things take time,” Gutekunst said. “We’ve gone through a bunch of extensions this summer, kind of knowing this was going to be the one (to do) right about now.
“We have a little bit of time because he’s just not there yet (physically), but I would expect hopefully that would get done. But you never know how they’re going to go.”
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