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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
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- Tucker Kraft contract (Spotrac): $3.93 million cap hit in 2026, NFL free agent in 2027
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.
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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.
- Tucker Kraft stats (2025): 32 receptions, 489 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns, 22 first downs, 61.1 receiving yards per game, 15.3 ypr
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 the guarantees because he’s coming off an ACL tear.
Once Kraft’s contract extension is done, Green Bay will seemingly be done negotiating long-term deals for the foreseeable future. The only notable Packers free agents in 2027 are cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, with neither guaranteed to be back with the team next year. Of note, per OverTheCap.com, the team is currently projected to have just $14.447 million in cap space for 2027, but it could roll over some of its current cap space ($23.358 million) next spring.
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