The Green Bay Packers were very happy to get tight end Tucker Kraft back to start the 2026 NFL season. At the time of his injury midway through last season, he was playing at an elite level and was considered by many to be one of the best tight ends in the league. But while Kraft is back in the lineup, he has not been living up to his pre-injury level of play. While his early-season production has been a bit disappointing, it is far too soon to worry about the slow start by Packers tight end, Tucker Kraft.
Too Soon to Worry About the Slow Start by Packers TE Tucker Kraft: The Pre-Injury Production
The Packers selected Kraft in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. GM Brian Gutekunst doubled down at the position that year and also drafted Luke Musgrave in the second round. Musgrave won the starting job in training camp, but when he was injured mid-season, Kraft took over as the starter. He has never relinquished the job.
As a rookie, he caught 31 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns. In 2024, Kraft took a second-year jump. He caught a career-high 50 passes 707 yards and seven scores. The South Dakota State alum became one of the best tight ends in the league at running after the catch.
In 2025, he was off to a great start before suffering a torn ACL mid-season. He was among the league leaders for tight ends in catches, yards, touchdowns and yards after the catch. Kraft had also developed into a good blocking tight end, the best on the Packers roster.
The Early-Season Struggles
Kraft did not appear in any of the Packers preseason games while he continued his rehab this summer. He was, however, ready for the season opener in Minnesota and was able to play all three games thus far this season.
Kraft indicated he did not expect to be on a play count to start the season. For the most part, that has been true. In three games, he’s been on the field for 79 percent off the team’s offensive snaps. Last season, in the eight games he played prior to the injury, he was on the field for 86 percent of the offensive plays.
Statistically, Kraft’s numbers are down across the board. Through three games, he has just nine catches for 106 yards and has yet to score a touchdown. His average yards per catch dropped from 15.3 in 2025 to just 11.8 this season. His catch percentage has also dropped significantly. In his first three NFL seasons, his catch percentage was never below 71. This season, it’s at just 52.9 with nine catches on 17 targets.
Kraft has also dropped four passes in three games thus far this season. In all eight games he played last year, he only dropped three. His career-high is five over a full, 17-game season.
There has also been a sharp decrease in his yards after the catch. Last season, Kraft averaged 10.8 yards after catch per route according to pro-football-reference.com. In the opening three games of this season, that number is down to 5.6.
Too Soon to Worry About the Slow Start by Packers TE Tucker Kraft: No Need to Worry
Despite the slow start, there is no need to worry about Kraft, at least not yet. While it takes 9-10 months to return to action after an injury like his, it may take up to another year for a player to feel close to how they did before their injury.
Furthermore, the offense in general is struggling mightily, in large part due to the historically poor performance by the offensive line. Quarterback Jordan Love has been under pressure far too frequently and often off the snap of the ball. The Packers also lack a running game has also been struggling which means the team is often in must-pass situations. That allows defenses to ignore the run and concentrate on getting after the quarterback.
Kraft should be just fine, but it will take time. The Packers will be counting on him to be a major part of the offense this season. As he gets back into true football shape and gains more confidence in his injured knee, his level of play should return to pre-injury levels.
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