Tucker Kraft Injury Update: Will Packers TE Play in Week 1?

Tucker Kraft was on his way to a career year in 2025, accruing 32 receptions, 489 receiving yards, and 6 receiving TDs over only eight starts for the Green Bay Packers. Kraft had that campaign cut short by suffering a torn ACL in Week 9 of last season, causing him to miss the final nine games of the year.

To begin the 2026 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers kick off the campaign on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 13. Will Kraft be active for the Packers when they take the field in Week 1?

Let’s look at the latest Tucker Kraft injury update and whether he could play in Week 1 against the Vikings. Plus, we’ll look at Kraft’s fantasy football outlook and projections on PrizePicks.

Make Packers predictions for the 2026 NFL season on PrizePicks!

{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Is Tucker Kraft Playing in Week 1?

The typical recovery timeline for a torn ACL in the NFL is eight to 12 months, and Kraft sustained his knee injury in November of last season. Kraft was activated off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on July 31 and was limited to individual drills to ease him back into practicing.

The initial goal was for Kraft to be ready for joint practices with the Arizona Cardinals in late August, and he was reportedly heavily involved in his first action in pads since his knee injury.

While Kraft understandably didn’t play any snaps in the preseason, it was a positive sign to see him moving well in his first test against an opposing team.

Besides returning from injury, there were mentions of Kraft potentially electing to hold out to begin the season due to wanting a new contract. However, Kraft said himself that he won’t be holding out and wants to be out there for the team’s season opener.

On top of Kraft making it clear he’ll play regardless of his contract situation, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky revealed that Kraft is expected to be a full go in Week 1.

While it could be naive for the Packers to fully unleash Kraft to begin the year, his quicklrehab process has truly been impressive. PrizePicks projects Kraft for 45.5 receiving yards in Week 1's battle with the Vikings.

Lock in your Tucker Kraft picks on PrizePicks for Week 1!

Tucker Kraft Fantasy Football Outlook for 2026

Before sustaining an unfortunate season-ending knee injury a season ago, Kraft was TE4 in fantasy points per game (14.6) in PPR leagues. Only Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, and George Kittle had more points per game for fantasy football.

Among TEs with 100-plus routes run in 2025, Kraft earned the 11th-highest target share (18.8%) and third-most yards per route run (2.26), per Sumer Sports. 

Kraft also had the eighth-most yards after the catch (344) despite missing nine games for the Packers. The seven TEs with more yards after the catch had at least 439 routes run, while Kraft ran only 216 routes.

Even if Kraft sees a decline in his yards after the catch upon returning from his knee injury, there are other avenues to see an uptick in production.

For starters, WRs Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are no longer on Green Bay’s roster. Doubs and Wicks combined for 131 targets, a 31.0% target share, and 8 receiving TDs last season.

Along with having fewer players to compete for targets with, Kraft could see an expanded role in the red zone with RB Josh Jacobs being absent from the team. Jacobs was recently placed on the NFL’s Commissioner’s Exempt List after facing charges of battery and criminal damage to property in a domestic incident.

As the starting back for the Packers in 2025, Jacobs had the ninth-most red zone carries (52) and second-most red zone rushing TDs (12) in the NFL. With RB MarShawn Lloyd, RB Chris Brooks, and RB Kaleb Johnson being the current backs on Green Bay’s roster, it remains to be seen if any tailback will get the same level of trust in the red zone.

Ahead of the 2026 NFL season, PrizePicks has a 1.75x payout on the Packers to secure 10+ wins and a 1.78x payout to reach the playoffs.

From an individual perspective, Kraft has a 1.72x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks to achieve at least 750 receiving yards this season.

Make your NFL predictions on PrizePicks—featuring season-long player stats, awards, playoff qualifiers, and more!

{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Make 2026 NFL Predictions on PrizePicks

Following a spectacular start, Tucker Kraft had his 2025 campaign cut short. Will Kraft suit up for the Packers in Week 1, and how will he perform upon his return from a torn ACL?

The NFL regular season begins on September 9, and users can make NFL predictions for the upcoming 2026 season, such as the Super Bowl winner, divisional winners, and win totals, on PrizePicks Team Picks—available in 36 states!

Stay locked in on Playbook for daily NFL news as the 2026 regular season approaches.