Green Bay got a key piece back on the field today, as tight end Tucker Kraft was activated from the physically unable to perform list and took part in practice for the first time since tearing his ACL last November.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said Kraft was held to individual drills as he works his way back toward full strength. The move is an important checkpoint in his recovery, and it comes after a 2025 start that had him on a Pro Bowl track before the injury cut things short.
In the first eight games of the 2025 season, Kraft hauled in 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns. His year ended against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, where he suffered the ACL tear.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst sounded upbeat about where Kraft stands, saying that playing in Week 1 is "very much a possibility" for the tight end. Green Bay is being careful with the process, though, especially with contract extension talks still ongoing.
The Packers open the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 13, and the hope is Kraft will be fully worked back into the lineup by then.
Kraft’s activation also fits into a broader wave of roster movement at the start of training camp. Guard Aaron Banks and defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse have also come off the PUP list, while star edge rusher Micah Parsons remains there with a less certain return timeline.
Kraft, for his part, made his mindset clear in an Instagram post: "Had to slow cook it this offseason. Ready to work!"
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Baker Mayfield has quietly re-entered that discussion because his situation in Tampa Bay is suddenly less settled than it looked a few months ago. He is in the final year of his contract with the Buccaneers, still without an extension, and his disappointment with the team's offer only adds to the intrigue. If the Vikings' current quarterback plan does not produce the results they want, Mayfield could become a name worth revisiting. [Read more 🡒]