All signs have been pointing in the right direction for the Packers' rising star at tight end, Tucker Kraft. After tearing his ACL in Week 9 of the 2025 season, the 25-year-old former third-round pick has been hard at work all offseason, preparing to get himself back on the field for Green Bay this year. He'll be extra motivated with contract negotiations looming over both him and the front office just a month and a half from the regular-season kickoff.
Well, we have some good news, Packers fans! According to The Athletic's Packers beat reporter, Matt Schneidman, it's looking like Kraft will be ready to go for the start of the season despite starting training camp on the PUP list. He made the following comments during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show:
"Tucker Kraft told us that he expects to play in week one against the Minnesota Vikings," Schneidman reaffirmed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he is the highest-paid tight end in the league here in the next couple [of] weeks — maybe even before he steps on the field."
Aside from playing the waiting game with injured defensive star Micah Parsons, this was the biggest remaining question hanging over the Packers as we barrel toward the start of the regular season, which is less than 45 days away. Now, we can start to really imagine what this means for the offense.
Tucker Kraft's return should push the Green Bay Packers towards the top of the NFL's offense rankings.
Based on Schneidman's latest update, we can safely operate as if Tucker Kraft will be back in the lineup for the start of the season, immediately giving quarterback Jordan Love a 6-foot-5, 259-lb beast of a target to lean on. His return should help mask some of the questions we've heard all summer about how they will make do without Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks.
Green Bay, dealing with injuries all year, ranked 15th in total yards per game and 16th in total points scored. Despite Love digging deep into his bag of tricks and doing everything he could to will this unit to success, it's hard to qualify them as anything other than mediocre for the 2025 season. It seems harsh, but the injury bug bit the Packers' offense hard, holding them back from their full potential.
Now, with Kraft back in the lineup, Love has enough viable, impact playmakers playing alongside him to surge the Packers back up to where they belong as a Top 10 NFL offense in 2026. Everyone will have something to prove, from Kraft showing the injury won't hold him back, to Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden silencing the detractors who don't think they're ready for this challenge, all of Green Bay's pass-catching playmakers will have something to prove, and that's a great place to be in as an NFL franchise.
Add us as a preferred source on Google