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Tucker Kraft Earns Strong Praise from Packers Teammate After Return to Practice
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Green Bay Packers star tight end Tucker Kraft took a major step on Sunday, returning to full 11-on-11 work. It marked the first time Kraft had taken the field in competitive team drills since tearing his ACL in Week 9 of the 2025 season. He showed right away why he's considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL , catching multiple passes from quarterback Jordan Love, including a touchdown.
Kraft's competitive edge was on full display again during Tuesday's practice, as things got physical between him and one of the Packers' headline offseason acquisitions, former All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin.
On one flat-route catch, Kraft and Franklin collided in the open field with a hard hit. Later, Franklin arrived a beat late on a shoulder hit after Kraft hauled in a catch over the middle, knocking him to the ground.
Their history dates back to last summer, when Franklin — then with the Colts — got into a scuffle with Kraft during a joint practice between Indianapolis and Green Bay. Now teammates, Franklin has put that behind him and offered strong praise for the Packers' star tight end after Tuesday's practice.
"He's a dog," Franklin said. "That's how it's supposed to be. I feel like with Tuck being out there, I told him, 'I feel like that's what the team is missing.' Like, he brings that same energy, that same competitiveness, that same [expletive] mentality that I feel like I bring on the defense. That's what Tuck can do for the offense. So it was great to have him out there, great to compete."
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Kraft was the Packers' third-round pick (No. 78 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft out of South Dakota State, and in just three seasons he's emerged as one of the game's premier pass-catching tight ends. He hauled in 50 catches on 70 targets for 707 yards and seven touchdowns across 17 games in 2024 and was well on pace to top those career highs last season before the injury.
Through eight games in 2025, he posted 32 catches on 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per catch — the highest mark of any tight end in the league. Over a full 17-game season, that pace would have put him on track for more than 1,000 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nearly 70 catches — numbers that would have placed him firmly in the All-Pro conversation.
Kraft has yet to play in a preseason game, and with only two remaining, he may not appear in one at all. But all signs point to him being ready to roll by Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings.
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