Packers’ Tucker Kraft makes Week 1 plans abundantly clear, new contract or not

Tucker Kraft isn’t going to let contract negotiations keep him off the field for the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.

With the regular season approaching and Kraft still without a contract extension, the fourth-year tight end made his intentions clear.

“I will be on the field to play for the Green Bay Packers, regardless of any contract situation, because I love this team, and you can’t replicate this locker room anywhere else in the NFL.”

Kraft is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and both sides have expressed interest in reaching a long-term agreement. Whether that happens before Week 1 remains to be seen, but Kraft isn’t planning on allowing negotiations to impact his availability. More importantly, his recovery from a torn ACL appears to have him on track for the season opener.

Kraft suffered the injury midway through the 2025 season after emerging as one of Green Bay’s most productive offensive weapons. He caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns in only eight games before his season ended. Those numbers put Kraft on pace for easily the best season of his young career and established him as a potential long-term difference-maker at tight end. Now, the Packers are preparing to get him back.

Green Bay opens the regular season on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, giving Kraft an immediate opportunity to prove his knee is healthy and pick up where he left off last season.

A contract extension could still arrive before then, as general manager Brian Gutekunst wants. Either way, Kraft has already made one thing clear: If he’s healthy, he’ll be on the field in Minnesota.

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