Sportsnaut
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has been busy this offseason signing some of the team’s key players to contract extensions, with Devonte Wyatt, Christian Watson, Isaiah McDuffie, and Jayden Reed all landing new deals. It appears tight end Tucker Kraft could be next.
Immediately after Wyatt signed his three-year extension with the Packers, ESPN‘s Rob Demovsky reported that Kraft is next in line for a deal, with both sides hopeful to get a long-term deal done before training camp next week.
“Next up, Tucker Kraft. The Packers star tight end should be next in line for a contract extension after the Packers came to terms with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt on a three-year, $57 million extension on Monday…Both the Packers and Kraft have made it clear they want to continue going forward. The only question now is can they get a deal done before training camp, which opens next week”
ESPN’s Green Bay Packers reporter Rob Demovsky on Tucker Kraft contract extension talks
Related: Packers Reporter Names Starter with Most At Stake in 2026
Green Bay doesn’t necessarily have to rush into a deal. The team could allow Kraft to play out the 2026 NFL season on the final year of his rookie contract and then either extend him next offseason or even use the franchise tag on him. However, the club seems determined to work out a long-term deal before Week 1.
Kraft, who turns 26 in November, is nearing the end of his recovery from ACL surgery. While there’s no clear timeline for exactly when he’ll return to the practice field for Packers training camp, he is expected to be ready for Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. Just as crucial, the team is hopeful that he’s at 100 percent for that regular-season opener on a normal snap count.
Related: 2026 Dynasty TE Rankings, See Where Tucker Kraft Lands
Selected with the 78th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-5 tight end has since established himself as one of the best playmakers in the league at his position. Over the last two seasons, he’s ranked top five in yards after catch and top two in yards per route run and yards per target among tight ends, per PlayerProfiler.com.
Kraft’s new deal is expected to make him one of the highest-paid tight ends in NFL history. The extension is widely expected to top the Kyle Pitts contract extension, three years for $54 million with an $18 million average annual value, and challenge the $19 million AAVs of George Kittle and Trey McBride. Based on how Green Bay structured its other extensions this offseason, the new deal will be added to his current contract ($3.93 million cap hit this season). Likewise, the team might lower...
