GREEN BAY – Just days from the start of his fourth NFL season, Tucker Kraft stood at his locker inside Lambeau Field and made his intentions clear.
Fully back from the torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended a promising 2025 campaign, Kraft wasn't leaving Green Bay. Despite being in the final year of his rookie contract, the 6-foot-5, 259-pound tight end viewed himself as a Green Bay Packer.
Today. Tomorrow. Next season.
"I will be on the field to play for the Green Bay Packers, regardless of any contract situation, because I love this team," said Kraft on Sept. 1. "And you can't replicate this locker room anywhere else in the NFL."
Now, he's here to stay.
Eleven days after Kraft voiced his commitment to the Packers, the organization and its franchise tight end agreed to a contract extension to keep Kraft in Green Bay for the long haul.
Drafted in the third round (78th overall) out of South Dakota State in 2023, Kraft has quickly become a Packers pillar. On top of being one of the league's bright young stars at tight end, Kraft is already a two-time captain at 25 years old.
Between the white lines, Kraft is just the third NFL tight end since 2000 to post 100-plus catches, 1,500-plus receiving yards, 15-plus receiving touchdowns and average 13.5-plus yards per catch in his first three NFL seasons.
The other two? Baltimore's Mark Andrews (2018-20) and New England's Rob Gronkowski (2010-12), who have five combined first-team All-Pro selections between them.
Kraft was trending in that direction last season before tearing his ACL in November against Carolina. Heading into that game, Kraft was on pace for 72 receptions, 1,139 yards and seven TDs through the first seven weeks of the season.
That trajectory, and Kraft's role in the locker room, fueled his rehab, most of which he performed in Green Bay this offseason.
"You know what you're going to get from Tuck," quarterback Jordan Love said. "He wants to be out there; he wants to earn everything he does. Coming off the injury he had last year, he's missed so much time where he's hungry to be back out there and get rolling and start making plays now."
Emotions were high heading into last Sunday's regular-season opener in Minneapolis, as it was a pseudo-home game for Kraft, who grew up Timber Lake, S.D., a small town of around 500 people.
A little more than 24 hours removed from signing a life-changing extension, Kraft had plenty of family and friends in attendance for first game back following the ACL injury.
And the big plays were back, too.
Fittingly, one of the first completions of the Packers' 2026 season was a 30-yard pass down the seam from Love to Kraft. Late in the second quarter, Kraft caught a 23-yard pass on second-and-8 to ignite a seven-play, 74-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Christian Watson.
"Tuck's what we want to be about," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "He shows up every day and puts his 100% into this thing. He does a great job. He's obviously earned the respect from his teammates, being voted a captain, and he does things the right way. I love the style of play which he presents out on the field. You can't have enough guys like Tucker Kraft."
Kraft's extension was the final domino in a key offseason for the Packers, who also signed Watson and receiver Jayden Reed to new contracts earlier this year.
Those three veterans and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden are expected to power the Packers' passing game this season and in years to come.
Week 1 provided a glimpse of what's possible, as Green Bay's offense tallied 10 explosive plays. Love threw for 387 yards, the second-most in a regular game in his three-plus years as the Packers' starting quarterback.
"You guys see what we can do all together," Reed said. "That's huge, to have all of us together, plus M.G., plus all the other playmakers we have. I think we can be the best in the league, me personally."
The bittersweet part for Kraft is his return didn't end in a Packers victory, as Minnesota rallied in the fourth quarter to pull off the 39-22 comeback.
Kraft did his part, though. Playing 45 snaps, the fourth-year tight end caught three passes for 65 yards. He not only looked back to full strength but also demonstrated his growth as a route-runner.
Early on, Kraft made a name for himself as a bulldozing underneath pass-catcher who was impossible for defensive backs to get down, evidenced by the fact that, among tight ends with at least 50 receptions since 2023, he leads in average yards after the catch (9.1) and ranks second in yards per catch (13.7).
Where Kraft lines up, his goal is the same – don't go down, keep pushing.
"I'll get the ball and will try to do all that YAC stuff regardless of where I catch the ball on the field," Kraft said after the Vikings game. "It was just good to be back out there. There's not really a way to simulate games other than to just go out there and play. For my first game, I thought my main goal was just to play as clean as possible, don't try to do anything crazy."
Kraft said he wasn't planning to jump over anyone in his first game back. There were no kip-ups, either. But they could come soon enough.
Grateful to be a central piece in the Packers' football future. Kraft is excited to finish what he started with the team that brought him into the NFL a little more than three years ago.
"Something I've always dreamed of, especially these last few years, is being a part of this organization for the long term," Kraft said.
"I'm looking forward to winning some games now. We need to get going as an offense. I feel the pressure. This team needs us to rise to the occasion, and we're going to go out there and play some good football."
