The Green Bay Packers have made it clear that expectations remain high for the 2026 season, and Sunday's dominating win provided a needed reset. Among the clear adjustments that were made was star tight end Tucker Kraft finally having a needed breakout game, catching all five of his targets for 64 receiving yards and helping set a clear tone of physicality. Even when the numbers aren't eye-popping, if Kraft is consistently involved, the Green Bay offense looks completely different.
It forces the secondary to pick matchups where the Packers have a clear advantage, with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden being impossible to cover as well. Aside from this, Kraft brings a clear level of intensity and energy that it appears his teammates feed off of. Turning back the clock to the 2025 season, the Packers were at their absolute best offensively prior to the Kraft injury, when the pass catcher was having a breakout season.
Kraft getting back on this path doesn't come as a surprise, as it seems that Love is regaining trust in a veteran target who understandably needed a bit of time to settle after last season's injury. It is something the coaching staff has clearly noticed as well, based on the first play of the game for the Green Bay offense.
Love faked a flea flicker and tossed a tight end screen for Kraft, who helped set the tone for what was going to be a great day offensively. This is exactly the type of balance Green Bay needed to find and helped set up Watson for a big day as well.
Packers Need to Continue to Feature Tucker Kraft to Find Best Version of Green Bay Offense
When the Packers were being considered unstoppable early in the 2025 season, Kraft was at the center of this with 489 receiving yards despite missing more than half the season. Add in six touchdowns and more than 15 yards per catch, and it becomes clear why the Packers need to involve the tight end a bit earlier in games and more consistently, just as they did in Sunday's win against Chicago.
Another piece of this is the fact that, with Josh Jacobs on the shelf and MarShawn Lloyd struggling, there is a clear lack of balance in Green Bay's offense. To be able to offset this, the Packers need pieces capable of making big plays after the catch and a level of target depth that covers the inability to run the ball consistently.
No question, this was a tone-setting game not only for Green Bay moving forward, but for Kraft as well. It is clear from the play call early on that having Kraft more involved was a focus point, and the results speak for themselves, as fans should expect this to be a sign of things to come.
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