Packers face looming Tucker Kraft decision as extension path becomes key question after injury
Tight end showed elite ceiling before tearing his ACL.
From the players the Green Bay Packers may realistically extend over the next few months, nobody is more impactful for the future of the team than tight end Tucker Kraft. After three years in the NFL, the all-around offensive weapon established himself as a truly elite player at his position, but an ACL injury suffered during last season created new question marks about how the negotiations could shake out.
“We have a bunch of young players, really good players, that we would like to keep around here for a while,” general manager Brian Gutekunst recently said. “So we’ll work through that. I feel good about our flexibility.”
Tight end market
The top tight ends in the NFL are making slightly less than $20 million a year — George Kittle ($19.1 million), Trey McBride ($19 million), TJ Hockenson ($16.5 million), Kyle Pitts (franchise tag, $15.045 million). According to Spotrac, Kraft’s market value would project a four-year, $62 million extension ($15.5 million a year), which is realistic based on his production but could probably get a bump considering market inflation.
However, that would be a solid baseline for a deal at the moment, with Kraft recovering from a serious injury. Right before last season, the Packers gave Christian Watson a one-year, $11 million extension as he recovered from his own ACL — and that proved to be a great decision by the team.
For Kraft, who has more actual on-field production for the parameters of his position, it would be harder to justify a short-term deal. But even a long-term one would have some type of discount or incentives, as the Packers would buy risk by signing a player who suffered a serious injury — these days, players usually get back from ACL tears playing at a high level, but it’s not a definitive rule.
“Obviously, he’s a really important part of this football team and we would certainly like to have him around,” Gutekunst mentioned about Kraft. “That’ll be something we work through with his people and see what’s best for us and what’s best for them. The impact he has on our football team is not only as a player, but also as a leader, and that’s very important to us. We’ve already been in contact with him, letting him know how we feel, and we’ll see where it goes.”
For the Packers, as Gutekunst made clear, both scenarios are feasible. It’s pretty much up to Kraft and his representation. He can either want some guarantees before stepping on the field, or he may opt to get back on the field and play at a high level before signing a bigger extension.
The next few months will be telling, but there’s little doubt that Kraft will be a significant part of the future for the Packers’ offense.
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