The Green Bay Packers won't be as stacked in the wide receiver room in 2026 as they were in previous years. Romeo Doubs left, and they traded Dontayvion Wicks to shed some bodies off their WR logjam.
That speaks volumes about how they feel about Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, but it also raises the stakes for Tucker Kraft, the team's most proven commodity. Watson is injury-prone, and Golden is entering his second year, but Kraft has steadily improved over time.
That's why Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness argues that Kraft's connection with Jordan Love is the team's biggest reason for optimism. While that makes sense to a degree, there are also major risks.
The Packers need Tucker Kraft to stay healthy
"The Packers have plenty of talent on offense, and tight end Tucker Kraft enjoyed a breakout before an injury ended his 2025 season. His 2.33 yards per route run trailed only Dalton Kincaid of the Buffalo Bills, and he ranked second on the team in targets before suffering the injury. Quarterback Jordan Love is coming off the highest-graded season of his career, ranking fourth among all quarterbacks in PFF overall grade (88.8) and third in passing grade (88.7). His 5.9% big-time throw rate ranked sixth at the position, while his 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate was tied for the ninth lowest," he wrote.
Kraft's chemistry with his quarterback is seamless. He was in the midst of a breakout year before his ACL injury, and he might be the most underrated yards-after-catch specialist in the game. He can definitely put this team's passing game on his shoulders.
That said, we're talking about a player coming off a major injury. He's looked great in training camp and has repeatedly addressed how eager he is to get back on the field and pick things up where he left off last season. That, sadly, might not depend solely on him.
While confidence shouldn't be an issue with him, his body may not respond the same way, at least early on in the season. Some players need more than a full year to recover their twitchiness and explosiveness, and others simply never do.
Of course, that's not to say the Packers shouldn't have high hopes and standards for their star tight end. Even with the injury red flags, they should sign him to an extension before the asking price goes higher or someone else lures him away from Lambeau Field.
But banking most hopes on a player who's coming off such a long injury layoff has rarely worked out well. If anything, the Packers need to ramp him up slowly and rely on Watson, Golden, and Jayden Reed while he gets his legs back under him.
The Packers' passing game can be explosive and creative, with Kraft as a big reason for that. Still, Matt LaFleur must err on the side of caution and make the most of his other weapons to put Kraft in a position to not only succeed but also avoid setbacks or re-injury.
At least early on in 2026, he must be a complementary piece rather than the team's go-to guy.
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