The Green Bay Packers made two big and polarizing moves this offseason. Christian Watson and Devonte Wyatt got lofty extensions, with Tucker Kraft patiently working his way back to full strength and waiting for his turn.
Kraft began training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. However, the team must feel extremely confident about his recovery, as he's next in line to get paid.
As reported by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed that the team wants to give him an extension. More specifically, they're striving to get him a new deal before Week 1.
Tucker Kraft has earned a big contract with the Packers
Kraft should reach out to Kyle Pitts and buy him dinner. The Atlanta Falcons gave him an extension worth roughly $17.6 million in AAV. The Packers star should strive for a similar payday, which would put him right below George Kittle ($19.1 million) and Trey McBride (19 million), the top earners at the position.
That said, he might not be in much of a rush to put pen to paper. The Detroit Lions also need to get a new deal done with Sam LaPorta, and as comparable players, he might want their divisional rivals to drive up his baseline price a bit more.
Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that the Packers want to keep him around for the long run, as they should. He's too important to the passing game, and his ability to pile up yards after the catch is up there with Travis Kelce and the all-time greats.
Of course, giving a big contract to a player coming off a season-ending injury is a bit of a slippery slope. That said, he doesn't have a previous history of major injuries, and the team said he wouldn't have to miss that much time of training camp.
With Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks gone, the Packers will have more targets available for their star tight end. His chemistry with Jordan Love is the strongest on the team, and he should pick things right where he left them in his breakout season.
So, even if he doesn't get a new contract today or tomorrow, and even though the team will most definitely want to watch him practice for a couple of days first, he should have nothing to worry about. He'll get his money in due time.
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