The Green Bay Packers took care of business this offseason by offering extensions to their priority, home-grown talent. Center Sean Rhyan and wide receivers Jayden Reed and Christian Watson all signed long-term deals that will keep them in Green Bay for a few years to come.
The next priority is tight end Tucker Kraft, whose torn ACL in Week 9 cut short his All-Pro caliber 2025 season.
Kraft says he wants to spend his entire career in Green Bay. Whether or not that turns out to be the case, it’s only a matter of when, not if, he signs a new deal. Those talks are already in the works and received a new data point on Tuesday, when the Atlanta Falcons signed former fourth-overall pick Kyle Pitts to a three-year, $54 million deal.
Pitts and Kraft is a solid pair of names for the detectives in a buddy-cop show. However, they aren’t the same type of tight end. Still, the comparison is inevitable with two up-and-coming household names. How much does Pitts’ extension change things for Kraft (and his agent)?
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Pitts two years before Kraft, and he played on his fifth-year option in 2025 before signing his megadeal. Pitts had a fairly inconsistent career, with an outstanding rookie season followed by ups and downs. Still, he bounced back with a strong 2025 campaign. He caught 88 of 118 targets for 928 yards, 51 first downs, and five touchdowns, plus improving as a blocker (though it’s not his best trait). By doing so, he earned the big payday that will make him a valuable component for new head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Pitts’ $18 million-per-year contract didn’t reset the market, but it’s close. He’s now the third-highest-paid tight end in the league, just shy of George Kittle‘s $19.1 million and Trey McBride‘s $19 million yearly average (via Over The Cap).
Kraft may not have gotten a full 2025 season, but he’s the superior tight end by almost every metric. He’s a juggernaut as a blocker and a yards-after-catch machine — one of the most complete tight ends in the league.
In just eight games, Kraft was responsible for 489 yards on 32 receptions, with six touchdowns (just one shy of his 2024 total). He was becoming a focal point on offense, and his nasty blocking also made just as much of an impact.
By every metric, the offense is better with Tucker Kraft in it. And, if it’s up to Kraft, he wants to spend his entire career with the Packers.
“I’d say my goal is I want to play for this organization my entire career,” Kraft said. “I’m spoiled to have been drafted here, and this is all I know. Green and gold is all I know, so we’d like to keep it that way. And my agent and the Packers’ front office, they’re going be in those talks in time when it comes. You guys will find out eventually.”
What he didn’t mention, probably because saying so is inadvisable, is whether he would practice without a new deal.
Kraft is coming off a major injury that likely sees him start the season on the training camp PUP list. But he’s confident he’ll be ready by Week 1, and without any limitations.
“My anticipation is — they don’t really want us talking about our injuries and stuff — but with how I feel, I would say I’m going to get all the conditioning I need in camp to start Week 1 on no pitch count,” he said.
If the Packers are as assured as Kraft, he could sign a deal anytime between now and Week 1.
Pitts’ extension is likely the last new data point the Packers and Kraft’s agent will have in the next few weeks. Waiting until after this season, or even during it, will only cause the price to rise.
As much of a draft-and-develop team the Packers are, we don’t have many data points of their second contracts for tight ends, simply because many of their drafted tight ends haven’t stuck around long. Kraft is the most impactful tight end drafted by the Packers since Jermichael Finley, and Finley’s career ended shortly after signing his two-year, $14 million contract in 2012.
Jimmy Graham was Green Bay’s highest-paid tight end. He was Brian Gutekunst’s first splash free-agent signing — and first free-agent bust at three years, $30 million.
Pitts didn’t break the market, but he’s just shy of it. Kraft likely does, becoming the highest-paid tight end in the league. But with the way the Packers do business, the big initial numbers will look smaller than the guaranteed money. Green Bay frames contracts in a team-friendly way, with outs more often than not. Still, the yearly average likely breaks the $20 million mark.
That’ll give Green Bay a highly paid receiving corps with Kraft alongside Watson and Reed, but also at a much higher cost than the past few seasons. Still, an elite, do-it-all tight end elevates the offense in so many ways and helps facilitate the type of scheme LaFleur wants to run. Assuming the Packers act soon, Kraft will soon eclipse Pitts’ recent deal.
