Tucker Kraft was quickly becoming one of the top tight ends in the NFL before he went down with a torn ACL in his right knee last November. In addition to his rehab this summer, Kraft has had his finances on his mind as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Below, we will look at when Kraft is likely to return and be back in the Packers huddle. We will also dish out the latest information on his contract discussions with Green Bay.
Tucker Kraft injury update: When will Packers tight end return and be back in the Packers lineup?
The recovery time from a torn ACL is quite broad as it takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months.
It has been 297 days, nearly 10 months, since Kraft tore his ACL in a game against the Panthers.
Kraft’s rehab has gone quite well, as he was activated off the PUP list on July 31. After being eased into drills the first few weeks of August, Kraft participated in 11-on-11 drills on August 16. By all accounts, he played brilliantly - not missing a beat.
“I’m just getting back on the horse. Now that I’ve gotten back to team reps, as I continue to accumulate reps, I hope to continue to rise my game and take myself to new heights, rather than just return to pre-injury [form],” Kraft said.
Kraft is in line to play Week 1 of the regular season when the Packers take on the Vikings in Minnesota, but he will likely be on a snap count.
“[The Packers] are going to take into account my rep range probably until halfway through the season, then they’re just going to pat me on the [butt] and send me out there, send me to the wolves” Kraft said.
That may be a bit of hyperbole from Kraft regarding the timeline on the snap counts. Fellow Packer Christian Watson returned from a torn ACL last season and within three weeks of his comeback he was on the field for the majority of offensive snaps.
Kraft will likely be on some sort of snap count in Week 1, but by Week 3 - possibly even Week 2 - he should be full-go.
Here is a look at the Packers schedule early in the 2026 NFL season.
- Sunday, September 13: Packers at Vikings
- Sunday, September 20: Packers at Jets
- Thursday, September 24: Falcons at Packers
- Sunday, October 4: Packers at Buccaneers
As for his contract, Kraft has maintained that he would like a deal done by Week 1. Kraft’s camp and the Packers are currently in negotiations on an extension.
“This deal has to be done by Week 1 or it gets problematic,” said Peter Bukowski on his Locked on Packers podcast. “I’ve always said that superstar contracts are like bacon. They are not even close to done until all of a sudden - it’s ‘oh no, I’ve got to turn the heat off and get these things out of here or they’re going to burn.’ It is not even close until it’s practically done. And I think that’s where the Packers are right now. This will get done. Deadlines spur action.”
Tucker Kraft fantasy football ADP and odds
FantasyPros currently has Kraft’s ADP at 74 overall. The earliest he has gone is 34 and the latest he has gone is 86. He is the consensus TE5.
Kraft currently has +2500 odds at Fanatics Sportsbook to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Packers odds
Fanatics currently has the Packers with +2000 odds to win the Super Bowl. There are 12 teams on the board with shorter odds to win it all.
Matt LaFleur’s bunch is +235 at Fanatics to win the NFC North, and Green Bay has a win total projection of 10.5 with juice on the Under.
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