Packers Future Depends on Extending Tucker Kraft Now

Tucker Kraft has quickly risen from a 3rd round draft pick into one of the most productive and efficient tight ends in the NFL. This isn’t the first time I’ve sang his praises, and I doubt it will be the last.

Through the first 8 games of 2025 season before his injury, Kraft led the Packers with 32 catches for 489 yards and 6 touchdowns. Zooming out, he also ranked among the league leaders in yards per reception at 15.3. Packer Nation also knows all too well about Tucker YAC & Cheese and his abilitity to get chunk plays off of short passes. Across his 42‑game career, he’s racked up 113 catches for 1,551 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 13.7 yards per catch.

These are numbers that reflect both consistency and explosive playmaking ability. These aren’t fleeting flashe. They’re sustained indicators of a tight end who changes how defenses game‑plan against Green Bay.

Packers Tucker Kraft In Elite Company

Tucker Kraft’s performance ranks alongside some of the best young tight ends in recent memory. He became just the 4th NFL tight end since 2000 to post 80+ catches, 1,000+ receiving yards, 9+ touchdowns, and 13+ yards per catch in his first two seasons. In 2024, Kraft’s 50 catches for 707 yards and 7 touchdowns made him one of only two NFL tight ends (with George Kittle) to combine high volume with big‑play production, reinforcing that his impact isn’t limited to garbage time or check‑downs.

This resume is putting him in elite company with the likes Mark Andrews, Hunter Henry, and Rob Gronkowski. A list that frames his trajectory as being not just a reliable weapon, but as a top tier Tight End in the NFL. Check out this little highlight from September courtesy of SM Highlights.

Jordan Love posted a 150+ passer rating when targeting Kraft this season. That’s one of the best QB/Receiver duos in the league, showcasing how dangerous they are when on the field together.

Tucker is also no slouch with the physicality. His pass catching talent is incredible, but it is not overshadowing his ability to block and keep Jordan Love in a clean pocket, as well as allowing run lanes to open up at the line and downfield. I’ll leave it to the man to explain his mentality…

The ACL Situation

My heart sank watching Tucker get carted off that field. I have no reason to believe however, that he won’t come back and pick things up where he left them.

Some analysts may argue that the Packers should wait on an extension until Kraft’s ACL recovery is fully proven, but modern ACL rehabilitation outcomes for young players are a far cry from yesteryear with players returning in under 12 months and playing at full speed. This is especially the case for someone like Tucker Kraft, whose game isn’t solely based on speed but also size, strength, hands, and football IQ.

Waiting to sign him could also mean paying a premium in a hotter market or, worse, losing leverage in negotiations. In an off season where the headlines have pointed to salary cap woes, this is a no brainer investment.

With tight ends like Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson, and Trey McBride commanding $15–$19+ million annually in free agency, the market for elite pass‑catchers is steep and competitive. Extending Kraft now ensures the Packers lock in prime years at a more controlled price and limits bidding wars that can inflate a player’s value beyond roster‑friendly compensation.

Tucker Kraft Is Packer Through And Through

Beyond the statistical upsides and salary cap safe guarding, Kraft is an absolute pillar of the locker room and carries the “G” in stride. The locker room seems to only have glowing praises for Kraft, and he is widely seen as a team leader, even garnering the “C” on his jersey. I can’t put it any more plainly than he has himself on multiple occassions.

The absence after his injury was more than noticeable. Luke Musgrave never really stepped up as people may have hoped. He had flashes, but is not the rounded and proven threat that Kraft is. Fitzpatrick looked serviceable until his injury, and they just never really got that Tight End position locked back in without Kraft.

Investing in Tucker ensures continuity, and the potential to maximize Jordan Love’s growth window, while building a consistent threat the rest of the division must account for. Waiting only risks devaluing his worth or watching him hit unrestricted free agency and redefine another franchise’s offense in the process.