There was a time when an ACL tear was known by most as the worst injury a player could suffer, before the rise of Achilles tendon tears took over. But by the grace of modern medicine, it's no longer the career death sentence it was once known to be. There are few players better exemplifying that right now than Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft, whose year was lost when he tore his right ACL in Week 9 of the 2025 season.
Signs have pointed toward a clean start to the season for Kraft during the course of the offseason, but a confirmation from the man himself has Packers fans grinning from ear to ear. In speaking with The Athletic's Matt Schneidman in a media scrum at Green Bay's mandatory mini-camp, Kraft said he expects to play without a pitch count in Week 1 of the regular season.
"I feel great. My quad looks great. Swelling is minimal to none. No weird pains and aches coming out of my treatment and my training, so we're really excited to get this ball rolling, and ready to take off," Kraft told reporters.
Kraft was one of quarterback Jordan Love's favorite targets before the injury, posting about 61 receiving yards per game with six touchdowns last season. If you withhold the game he suffered the injury during, Kraft almost averaged a touchdown per game for the Packers in 2025.
Tucker Kraft's availability is a huge sigh of relief for the Green Bay Packers.
Coming out of South Dakota State, Kraft was selected with the 78th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was immediately thrust into a role in the NFL, appearing in all 17 games in both of his first two seasons. He was immediately tapped as somewhat of an iron man for his consistent ability to stay on the field despite taking a physical beating on the football field at times.
Having a reliable pass-catching option with the muscle to hold his own in run protection is a massive advantage for a Green Bay Packers lineup with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
Furthermore, the 26-year-old will need to step up if the injury suffered by tight end Luke Musgrave on Day 1 of the Packers' minicamp winds up lingering into the season. Details are scarce at this time, but the Packers are relatively thin at the tight end position — especially compared to some of the more physical, run-heavy teams in the NFL.
If Kraft is back on the field and playing to his full potential this season, that's a fantastic sign that the Packers are on their way to another Playoff appearance, and hopefully, a game-changing Playoff run.
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