The Packers are shaping up as real Lombardi contenders this season, which makes injuries the last thing they want. So when tight end Tucker Kraft went down in practice on Thursday, you could almost hear head coach Matt LaFleur’s blood pressure spike. But before fans hit the panic button, there may be reason to exhale—an encouraging update could change the whole picture.

According to insider Matt Schneidman, Kraft only tweaked his knee, and there’s a real chance he suits up against the Browns. All contingent upon how he feels tomorrow. This is great news for Jordan Love.

A healthy Tucker Kraft changes everything for him. His presence keeps the QB’s reads cleaner. Especially in those red-zone snaps where Kraft has been nothing short of terrific.

Add in the fact that Kraft is riding the momentum of a true breakout. Against the Commanders, he lit up the stat sheet with six grabs for 124 yards. A career high for him and his first-ever 100-yard-plus game. And his touchdown against the Lions puts him in rare company: just three tight ends in the league have found the end-zone in both games this season. The other two are Washington’s Zach Ertz and the Rams’ Davis Allen.

A 2023 third-rounder out of South Dakota State, Kraft has been on a rocket climb. He went from 31 catches, 377 yards, and two scores as a rookie to 50 grabs, 707 yards, and seven touchdowns last season. And now, with his early-season surge, everything points to those numbers taking yet another jump. If he stays healthy, that is.

“He’s a guy that approaches the game the right way,” Matt LaFleur said of Kraft. “I can’t say enough great things about Tuck and just the growth we’ve seen from him from the time he got here.”

For LaFleur and Jordan Love, this update is a deep sigh of relief. With two of the offense’s most pivotal weapons already on the shelf, losing Kraft too would’ve been a gut punch.

Packers’ already thin offense couldn’t afford a Tucker Kraft injury

Yes, any absence from Kraft would’ve only piled on to Green Bay’s challenges. The offense already took a major hit when Jayden Reed went down with a fractured collarbone in the win over Washington. Reed had surgery (addressing both that injury and a lingering foot issue) and landed on IR. Still, there’s cautious optimism he could return before the season’s end.

And if you somehow forgot about him, there’s WR Christian Watson. He’s still working his way back from the torn ACL suffered in Week 18 last year, opening 2025 on the reserve/PUP list. That rules him out for the early stretch of the season, though the team showed its faith by handing him a short-term extension as he continues his rehab.

Tucker Kraft being added to that list would’ve been concerning. But next week’s appearance is still up in the air. After Thursday’s practice, the Packers officially added Kraft to the Week 3 injury report, noting him as limited. A good chance for him to miss the Browns game if he doesn’t feel optimal tomorrow.

Wideouts Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and rookie Matthew Golden will have to step up in the absence of Watson and Reed, while Luke Musgrave would slide into the starting tight end role and shoulder a bigger share of the passing game.