Green Bay Packers and Tucker Kraft are unlikely to finish a long-term extension before the season opener on Sept. 13 in Minnesota, a league source said, because the two sides would need a significant shift in their positions to get there. Both sides want a deal sooner rather than later, but their numbers are not aligned enough for a quick agreement.
That timing matters because Kraft has become one of the top tight ends in the NFL, and the Packers have already locked up several other young players on long-term deals. They signed Sean Rhyan, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Devonte Wyatt, but Kraft is now the next major contract question as Green Bay weighs whether to secure another core offensive player before Week 1.
Kraft has done little to hide where he stands. At the end of training camp, he said he knows the value he brings to the team and believes the best odds of a postseason run come with him on the field early in the season. He also said he wants to be out there for every play he can play, that he is continuing to attack everything the same way, and that he is leaving the contract work to his agent. He added that he will be on the field for the Packers regardless of the contract situation.
For Green Bay, this is not just a question of total value. The Packers care heavily about structure and guarantees, and that is where the negotiation gets difficult. George Kittle is the highest-paid tight end by yearly average at $19.1 million, and Kyle Pitts has the largest full guarantee among the deals mentioned at $36 million. In George Kittle's case, San Francisco gave him an $18.145 million signing bonus and guaranteed his first- and second-year compensation, while his deal included $33 million guaranteed.
The Packers probably would not mind paying Kraft $20 million a year, but they have made clear in practice that they do not like guaranteeing future years unless the player's name is Jordan Love or Micah Parsons. That leaves the real issue not whether they want Kraft in the building, but whether they will meet the kind of guarantee structure that would let a new deal move fast. Brian Gutekunst has said he wants to get something done with Kraft, yet the gap between the sides remains wide enough that the best checkpoint is still the opener in Minnesota.
