Packers Secure Tucker Kraft with Four-Year, $75 Million Extension Before Season Opener
The Green Bay Packers and star tight end Tucker Kraft have agreed to a four-year contract extension with a base value of $75 million, finalizing the deal one day before the regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, sources told ESPN. The agreement could reach up to $92 million and includes a $26.5 million signing bonus, sources said.
Contract Details Elevate Kraft Among NFL’s Highest-Paid Tight Ends
Kraft’s extension carries an average annual salary of $18.75 million, making him the third-highest-paid tight end in the league. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he will receive $31.5 million in the first year of the deal. Only George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers and Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals, both at $19 million per season, rank higher in average annual value among tight ends.
Remarkable Recovery from Torn ACL Fuels Confidence
The 25-year-old Kraft is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee that prematurely ended what had the potential to be a record-breaking season for a Packers tight end. Through the first nine weeks of the 2025 season, he caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns. At the time of his injury, only one tight end had more touchdowns and only two had more receiving yards.
Kraft’s rehabilitation progressed ahead of schedule. He remained in Green Bay for most of the offseason to rehab, and at his nine-month checkup, doctors told him his knee showed healing comparable to someone more than a year post-surgery. Although he began training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, he returned to individual drills by Day 3, participated in 11-on-11 periods by August 16, and was taking hits in a joint practice with the Cardinals by August 26.
“He doesn’t shy away from the work,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said at the time.
Kraft Rejects Holdout Strategy, Prioritizes Team Success
Despite returning to full contact without a new contract, Kraft maintained that holding out was never an option.
“I’m not someone to orchestrate a holdout, mostly because they can fine me but mostly because I know the value I bring to this team,” Kraft said. “And I think best odds of us playing in the postseason are with me early on in the season, and I’m just going to continue to attack everything the same way I attacked my rehab. I want to be out on the field, and I want to play every play that I can play.”
Kraft’s stated goal throughout the process was to be ready for the season opener without limitations, though he acknowledged the possibility of a snap count early in the year.
“They’re gonna take into account my rep range probably until halfway through the season,” Kraft said. “Then they’re just gonna pat me on the ass and send me out there, send me to the wolves. How this offense is, I’m gonna get as comfortable as I can playing those reps in those games that I was playing previously, those games when I was 50-60 reps, 85 reps against the Cowboys in overtime. It’s just the more you can do, all the hats I can wear on the offense, I want to bring everything to the table.”
Extension Completes Busy Offseason for Packers’ Core
The Kraft deal continues a series of contract extensions by Green Bay this offseason. In the past four months, the Packers have signed long-term deals with wide receivers Jayden Reed and Christian Watson plus defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. With Kraft now locked in, Green Bay has every offensive starter under contract through at least the 2028 season, with several signed beyond that.
Negotiations Reflect Mutual Commitment
General manager Brian Gutekunst made no secret of his desire to retain Kraft long term, and Kraft repeatedly expressed his wish to remain with the team that drafted him in the third round in 2023. Still, the process took longer than some anticipated.
“It’s in the best interest to try to get something done, but these things take time,” Gutekunst said at the start of training camp. “We’ve gone through a bunch of extensions this summer, kind of knowing this was going to be the one right about now. We have a little bit of time because he’s just not there yet, but I would expect hopefully that would get done, but you never know how they’re going to go.”
With the extension finalized, the Packers enter the 2026 season with their offensive core intact and their emerging star tight end secured for the foreseeable future.
