Kraft Won’t Talk About Timelines, But …

Second-year tight end Tucker Kraft is back at practice after missing the first 10 practices of Packers training camp with a torn pectoral.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft catches a pass at Carolina. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Exactly one month before the Green Bay Packers are set to kick off the 2024 NFL season against the Philadelphia Eagles, tight end Tucker Kraft made his training camp debut on Tuesday.

Will he be ready for Week 1 in Brazil?

“Without a doubt,” Kraft said after practice. “I’m not supposed to talk about timelines and stuff like that. But you see me out there today, you’ll see me in Brazil.”

Kraft suffered a torn pectoral during offseason workouts. He missed OTAs, minicamp and the first 10 practices of training camp.

Before practice, coach Matt LaFleur said Kraft would be worked back into the action slowly. Kraft won’t play against the Browns on Saturday. What about the second preseason game at Denver?

“The next two games are not on the plate. We’re worried about Brazil,” Kraft said.

A torn pectoral, obviously, is detrimental to a player getting strong or even staying strong. However, Kraft said testing shows “everything was within or above my good arm – within like a 5 percent threshold of strength or better.”

The initial goal was to return to practice next week, he said.

“Over the next two weeks, there will be just more and more,” Kraft said. “I was in the indoor for the last three weeks and just grinding in there. Trying to get as familiar with contact again as possible, working in those weird positions – positions I don’t want to be in. But just working through those and see if they cause pain. We’re progressing really well.”

A typical training camp practice begins with warmups inside the Don Hutson Center. Once on the practice field, the first period is a half-speed walk-through between the offense and defense. Kraft did participate in that period – he got into a shoving match with Brenton Cox that had to be separated by Jordan Love – before taking part in individual run-blocking and pass-catching drills.

Kraft is confident he’s not only healthy but can reach a lofty goal because he did just about everything possible during his rehab to insure he’s ready.

#Packers coach Matt LaFleur on today's training camp debut of Tucker Kraft: "It’s definitely a challenge. But I think he’s ready to meet that challenge head on." ⬇️https://t.co/wyTpWKuRwc

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 6, 2024

“I’m punching and striking things every single day,” he said. “A large goal of mine this year, I want to be the best tight end in the outside zone. That’s a huge ask, especially in our offense, and I want people to feel confident putting me out there to pass protect, putting me out there to run block, putting me out there to run routes.

“So, I want to get back to playing with an edge again, and I think that the next two weeks will allow me to do that. I’m going to just come out every snap and, if I don’t feel like I can put my best competitive effort forward, then I’m going to let the staff know and we’ll be on the same page. But as far as I’m concerned, I feel great. We’re in this ramp-up period right and just very excited to get back on the field completely.”

Missing the first 10 practices will be an “obstacle” in the way of his run-blocking goal, LaFleur said, “but he’s ready to meet that challenge head on.”

He met the challenge last year. As a rookie third-round pick, he was practically a nonfactor for the first quarter of his rookie season. In his first four games, he played 38 snaps on offense, including just two in Week 2 at Atlanta. Through his first eight games, he had two receptions for 5 games; through his first nine games, he had three catches for 11 yards.

But then Luke Musgrave suffered a lacerated kidney against the Chargers, and Kraft’s career took off. In that game against Los Angeles, he turned a short pass into a 27-yard gain that the Packers turned into a touchdown and a 16-13 lead.

From that point on, he was one of the more productive tight ends in the NFL, regardless of experience.

“I just took what opportunity I had and I ran with it,” Kraft said. “There was a point in the season last year where I had to look myself in the mirror and say if I’m only going to get opportunities to run block and pass pro, then I’m going to be the best on our team in run block and pass pro.

“So, those opportunities carried through the weeks and my career changed with a flat route. I didn’t have to have a coach try to get me open. I got myself open, caught a ball in the flat, turned up(field). It was a play that was able to highlight my athleticism and the potential impact that I could make in this offense. Still thinking back to those moments, too. I’m excited to get going again.”

Exciting because it had been a long and lonely few months watching his teammates go through the offseason practices in May and June and the start of training camp in July and August.

“I’d say the hardest thing about injuries when you’re an athlete is you just wrap your identity so much into what you do on the field,” he said. “When you’re not out there, it becomes difficult because you don’t know what to do, how people view you.”

Musgrave and Kraft are viewed as one of the top young tight end tandems in the NFL. Together, they could open new facets of LaFleur’s offense.

“I think just having both of them out there, having both of them on the field at the same time, those are two explosive tight ends,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “Tucker made a name for himself at the end of the season just in his playmaking ability. So, I think the sky’s the limit for both of those guys and, when we have both of them on the field, I think we can do a lot of really cool things with both those guys and put some stress on the defense.”

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

In exactly three weeks, the #Packers will be cutting their roster from 90 players to 53.

Having watched all 10 training camp practices, here's my latest projection. ⬇️https://t.co/EzkYZTlLiI

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 6, 2024

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