Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has left little doubt about where he hopes to spend the coming years of his career, even as contract talks with the team have proven more complicated than he first expected.
The 26-year-old made his feelings known to reporters as the club prepared for its season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, stressing both his loyalty to the organization and his belief that he has earned a long-term commitment.
Kraft acknowledged that he felt frustrated with the Packers early in the process because a contract extension had not been completed. That disappointment faded once training camp began and his attention turned fully to football.
“It’s just a game of back and forth, and my job, my responsibility is to focus on the Minnesota Vikings,” Kraft said.
Negotiations have grown quieter in recent weeks, a development he described as typical of discussions between players and general managers. He insisted he takes no personal offense from the delay.
Still, Kraft made clear he wants to remain in Green Bay.
“The plan for me is to stay in this organization,” he said. “I would love for everybody to be on the same page when it comes to that in my negotiations.”
He views himself as one of the better tight ends in the league and expects to be paid accordingly. Because he is entering his age-26 season, this is the moment that matters most. A later deal, he noted, would come when he is closer to 30 and the conversation around his value would look very different.
“I only get one crack at getting an extension like this,” Kraft admitted. “I want the best for what I can get.”
He pointed to his production as evidence that he has already given the team reasons to act, turning routine checkdowns into 15- and 20-yard gains on film. At the same time, he promised that an unresolved contract would not change how he plays.
“I will be on the field to play for the Green Bay Packers, regardless of any contract situation, because I love this team, and you can’t replicate this locker room anywhere else in the NFL,” he said.
If no agreement is reached this year, Kraft would be able to test free agency, a market that could grow more expensive as other young tight ends, including Detroit’s Sam LaPorta, also seek new deals.
For now, the Packers and their emerging star remain in a familiar waiting game, one Kraft says he will not allow to distract him from the work ahead.
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