Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst gave a major update on the extension talks between the team and tight end Tucker Kraft.
The Green Bay Packers are getting ready for a massive 2026 season, following a year that saw them fizzle out down the stretch. Green Bay lost five straight games to end the 2025 season, including a tough loss in the wild-card round to their rival, the Chicago Bears.
One of the bigger reasons for the Packers' play over the final stretch of the year was due to injuries across the roster. Multiple key contributors went down during the regular season, leaving Green Bay searching for ways to replace production.
Many people point to defensive star Micah Parsons tearing his ACL as why the team struggled down the stretch. But there were other injuries that played a similar role in the Packers' inconsistent play.
Losing Parsons was a major loss for this team, but when right end Tucker Kraft went down in early November, the entire offense was derailed. Kraft was in the midst of a breakout season for the Packers, and the team was never the same after his ACL injury.
Kraft has one more year left on his current contract, with the tight end scheduled to make $3.6 million this season. But the Packers want to get an extension done with him, keeping his talent in Green Bay for years to come.
Ahead of the 2026 season, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst provided the latest on the extension talks with the breakout star.
"Would love to. No updates there, but we're working towards that. Would like to have that done before the beginning of the season," Gutekunst said
Like anything, extension talks can take some time, especially with the main focus being on the upcoming season. But Kraft gives this Packers team a reliable threat downfield, providing quarterback Jordan Love with a dynamic pass-catcher.
The tight end played in eight games last season for Green Bay, catching 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns. Kraft averaged 10.8 yards after the catch last season, showing why the team is so high on his upside.
In 2024, Kraft played in all 17 games, catching 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. He was well on his way to breaking these numbers in 2026 if he hadn't suffered the injury.
Green Bay selected Kraft in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of South Dakota. The 25-year-old has been making waves since, and the Packers seem determined to keep him in town for the next few years.
