The resilience to rehab from a mid-season ACL tear in time to be fully cleared for the start of the following season deserves a round of applause, no matter what team they're on. The mental and physical toll of working your way back from that serious of an injury would be difficult for anyone — let alone someone listed at 6-foot-5, 259 lbs. Nonetheless, Packers tight end Tucker Kraft is back to work for Green Bay and is expected to regain his regular role in the lineup.
Just earlier this week at Packers mini-camp, Kraft told reporters that he expected to start the season without a snap count and pick up where he left off last season, when he corralled 32 passes for 469 yards and six touchdowns in seven games before the injury. He's firmly established himself as one of quarterback Jordan Love's favorite targets, providing a reliable, big-bodied target in the red zone and nimble hands that often lead to big gains off the catch.
Kraft is set to play in the final year of his current contract, making about $3.9 million for the year. But given his importance to this team and his seemingly miraculous turnaround from last year's injury, he could very well be in line for a big payday at just 25 years old. That sentiment is shared by longtime Packers reporter Jason Wilde, who went on his radio show and said that he thinks "Tucker Kraft will be the highest-paid tight end in football" by the time the season starts.
If Tucker Kraft is truly back to his old self, the Packers will offer him a new contract… but not one that wrecks their cap sheet.
Kraft has long established his importance to this team, and his absence made it all the more obvious. So long as he continues to prove that he's as explosive as before his injury, it's almost a no-brainer for the Packers to negotiate a new contract with him.
With that said, Wilde's claim that he'll become the highest-paid tight end in the league feels like a bit of a stretch. While Kraft is extremely talented and clearly worthy of a new deal, he hasn't quite broken into that upper echelon of elite tight ends just yet. Even in his best season in 2024, Kraft ranked seventh at his position in yards (707) and tied with four other players for third in receiving touchdowns (7).
Just because he has the potential to keep ascending in those rankings doesn't mean the Packers need to get out ahead of themselves and pay him like he already did it. Green Bay has sustained such a high level of competitive consistency because they are measured in their approach and doesn't go overpaying for the sake of it — only when the time is right.
Kraft deserves all the good things coming his way, including a nice new contract and plenty of touches this summer, but making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, and by that measure, likely the highest-paid in NFL history, doesn't necessarily match up with his production to date.
Regardless of how much money is in the deal, or what percentage of that is guaranteed, the likelihood that Kraft signs a new contract with the Packers is trending in the right direction for the rising star at tight end and the Green Bay fans who support him. Hopefully, with the confidence of his team behind him, Kraft will play like the highest-paid player at his position this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google