In the initial stages after Packers breakout star tight end Tucker Kraft went down with a knee injury on Sunday at Lambeau Field, in what was a top-to-bottom disaster of a 16-13 loss to Carolina for the Green Bay offense, there was some wishful thinking that maybe Kraft had merely dinged some interior ligament or other and could be back on the field in relatively swift fashion.
That hope faded quickly after coach Matt LaFleur took the podium for his postgame press conference, said of Kraft’s injury, “Yeah, it doesn’t look good,” and proceeded to talk about the team’s group of pass-catchers as though it would be missing Kraft for the rest of the season.
That meant, with near certainty, an ACL tear for Kraft. There was still a touch of speculation about the injury, though, at least until Monday, after Kraft had gone through the routine battery of tests.
And then it was confirmed: Kraft has a torn ACL.
Tucker Kraft Should Be Back by 2026
The news was expected, but still, was reported by both Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“Sources said (on Sunday) they believed it to be an ACL, that has been confirmed today,” Rapoport said on the NFL Network. “For the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love has a plethora of targets but certainly Tucker Kraft has been one of his most prolific, certainly one of his favorite targets in this young season, he now loses one of the best young tight ends in the NFL.”
As if not wanting to hammer Packers fans with strictly bad news, Rapoport did add: “Done for 2025, should make a full recovery for 2026.” So there’s that.
Packers Will Miss Kraft: ‘He’s a Leader on This Team’
No doubt, missing Kraft in the offense will hurt for the Packers. He is leading the team in yards with 489, and touchdowns with six, a career-high. He is second in catches with 32 this year.
But players were emotional in talking about Kraft after the game, knowing full well he was likely done for the season. As much as his performance has been a key for Green Bay, so has his enthusiasm and his leadership.
“I know who he is for this team and what he means for this team. That’s a heavy blow for us,” running back Josh Jacobs said. “A lot of guys even in the locker room and even the huddle afterwards, we felt that. He’s a leader on this team. He’s a captain and he’s one of those guys that you really love to have on your team.”
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