Overview
- In early August Kraft was taken off the PUP list and has returned to limited on-field work, including bike reps, individual routes, and catching from quarterbacks with team doctors giving positive feedback.
- Kraft and his agent are in active talks with Packers negotiators Russell Ball and GM Brian Gutekunst about a multi-year extension and the team has publicly said it wants a deal.
- The Packers say they will wait for more evidence from team drills before committing large guarantees, making Kraft’s upcoming practice benchmarks a deciding factor for contract timing.
- Kraft’s choice to practice without a new deal reduces his leverage because a setback in camp would likely push Green Bay to offer a shorter, lower-risk contract instead of a top-tier long-term deal.
- Kraft enters 2026 on the final year of his rookie deal worth about $3.6 million, and his pre-injury production positions him to command top tight end money if he proves he is fully healthy by the Aug. 26 joint practices and Week 1.