Tucker Kraft Says He Will Be Ready for Week 1 With No Pitch Count
Seven months removed from ACL surgery, the Packers tight end says his rehab is ahead of schedule and he plans to play a full workload when the season opens.
Tucker Kraft has no interest in easing back into the Green Bay Packers offense. The tight end, who tore the ACL in his right knee on November 2 against the Carolina Panthers, told reporters this week that he expects to be a full participant when the season kicks off. "With how I feel, I would say I'm gonna get all the conditioning I need in camp to start Week 1," Kraft said, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. He added a blunt assessment of where his rehab stands: "I'm doing better than expected."
Where does Tucker Kraft's rehab actually stand?
Kraft is roughly seven months out from surgery, and the markers he is hitting suggest the optimism is more than talk. He recently reached a top running speed of 21.5 mph, a meaningful milestone for any skill player coming off knee reconstruction. He has reported minimal swelling and no unusual pain, and his injury was limited to the ACL itself, with no meniscus damage to complicate the recovery. "Every single day I come in here, I try to get better," Kraft said. None of that guarantees he avoids a snap count in September, but a November tear gives him about ten months before the opener, which is a workable timeline for a clean ACL recovery.
How big a loss was Kraft for the Packers in 2025?
Before going down in Week 9, Kraft was in the middle of a breakout season. He had 32 catches for 489 yards and 6 touchdowns, and he was the only tight end in the league with at least 30 receptions, 475 receiving yards, 6 scores and a 15-yard average per catch. That combination of volume and explosiveness made him one of Jordan Love's most dangerous targets, particularly after the catch. Getting that production back at full strength would matter as much as any addition Green Bay has made this offseason. It also explains why Kraft, entering the final year of his rookie deal, has said he wants to spend his whole career in Green Bay, with extension talks expected to pick up soon.
What does this mean for Green Bay's season outlook?
The Packers have spent the offseason loading up, trading for Micah Parsons and signing linebacker Zaire Franklin and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave on defense while extending Christian Watson on offense. Parsons tore his ACL about six weeks after Kraft did, and unlike Kraft he also damaged his meniscus, which is why the pass rusher is targeting an October return while the tight end talks about Week 1. If Kraft's timeline holds, Green Bay opens the year with its top tight end at full speed and gets its marquee defensive addition back a month into the season. For a roster with this much invested in 2026, having Kraft available from the jump rather than on a snap limit would be a quietly significant win.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Packers TE Kraft (ACL) expects to 'start Week 1 on no pitch count'
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