It’s fair to say the Green Bay Packers have had a pretty ho-hum offseason from a personnel standpoint. That was to be expected, too.
The Packers had to make some adjustments to get below the salary cap heading into the new league year, and they didn’t have a ton of room for big-time additions.
Advertisement
You can make the case that they did the most with what they had. Getting a fourth-rounder from the Dallas Cowboys for Rashan Gary, a player they were going to cut, was highway robbery. Bringing in players like Benjamin St-Juste, Skyy Moore, and Javon Hargrave will improve this team on the margins, where the difference between being a Super Bowl team or not is often exposed.
The Packers have done what they could, and there’s still the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s also consider the fact that Green Bay will essentially be getting several massive “additions” in 2026 via the return of key injured players.
Micah Parsons gets top billing in that regard, but one of those players is Tucker Kraft, who was well on his way towards becoming one of the top tight ends in the NFL before he tore his ACL on Nov. 2.
Kraft played in just eight games in 2025. He caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per catch.
Advertisement
He had clearly become quarterback Jordan Love’s favorite target, and it made sense. Kraft checks in at 6-foot-5, 259 pounds, so he’s a big target, but he also has good route-running ability and soft hands. Throw in his otherworldly ability to pick up tough yards after the catch, and the player we saw before the injury was making a case for an All-Pro season.
Heck, he still finished eighth among tight ends in tough downs and YAC (347 yards) despite missing half the season, per Zach Kruse of PackersWire. The 2026 season also ended with Kraft first amongst all tight ends in YAC per catch (10.8 yards) and 1st in passer rating when targeted (157.2).
Sep 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) stiff arms Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jack Sanborn (57) during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Timeline-wise, Kraft should be back for the start of training camp.
Advertisement
If he can come back healthy and ready to roll in 2026, the Packers are essentially picking up an elite tight end in free agency this offseason. Sure, that’s not exactly how it works, but imagine how this past season would have wound up had Kraft not been injured?
Surely, and at the very least, the Pack wouldn’t have ended the season on a multi-game losing skid.
Surely, he would have at least been a Pro Bowl tight end if not an All-Pro, and that could have made all the difference for the Packers at the end of 2025.
PackersRoundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Packers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.