Tucker Kraft Sends Message on Week 1 Status Injury Return ACL Tear
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Packers tight end Tucker Kraft.
Tucker Kraft sounds pretty confident that he will be back to 100% in time for the Green Bay Packers‘ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.
Kraft missed the second half of the 2025 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during Week 9’s game against the Carolina Panthers on November 2, but head coach Matt LaFleur indicated last week that he expects the team to clear the 23-year-old to return to the practice field either before or during training camp later this summer.
On June 10, though, Kraft took the confidence in his return one step further. While he said he anticipates that the Packers will start him on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list to begin training camp, he also believes that he will have received enough conditioning in camp to play against the Vikings in Week 1 restriction-free.
“Starting camp on the PUP and coming off in camp, my anticipation is — they don’t really want us talking about our injuries and stuff, but with how I feel, I would say that I’m going to get all the conditioning I need in camp to start Week 1 on no pitch count,” Kraft told reporters after June 10’s practice.
Tucker Kraft’s Recovery Going ‘Better Than Expected’
For all intents and purposes, Kraft seems to be on track to play in Week 1’s first game.
Kraft said Wednesday that he will reach the seven-month mark since his surgery on Saturday, June 13, meaning he will hit the nine-month mark in camp and be exactly 10 months removed from his ACL procedure when they play the Vikings on September 13.
The Packers know that ACL injuries can be tricky from their saga with left tackle David Bakhtiari, but 10 months sits right in the middle of the standard ACL return window.
Kraft also said he feels “better than expected” at this point in his recovery, touting that he hit 21.5 miles per hour running two weeks earlier and has full confidence in his knee.
“I’m doing good,” Kraft said Wednesday. “I’m doing better than expected. I really attribute it to the time and the commitment I put into my rehabilitation early on, the first three months. That really has catapulted me to where I am now. I feel great. My quad looks great. Swelling is minimal to none. No, like, weird pains and aches coming out of my treatment and my training. We’re really excited to get this ball rolling and we’re going to take off.”