GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) 鈥� Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft believes he was playing as well as anyone at his position when he tore his right last November.
He sees no reason why that should change once he鈥檚 back on the field 鈥� and he believes that return ought to come as soon as Green Bay鈥檚 Sept. 13 season opener at Minnesota.
鈥淚鈥檓 not really buying into the (idea that) people come back off an injury and aren鈥檛 the same,鈥� Kraft said Wednesday during mandatory minicamp. 鈥淧eople come back off their injury 鈥� if you鈥檙e not coming back off your injury the same, then what are you doing? What were you doing your entire rehab?鈥�
Kraft said he expects to open training camp on the physically unable to perform list but he should be ready for the start of the season. Kraft hasn鈥檛 played since getting on Nov. 2 during a to the Carolina Panthers.
鈥淲ith how I feel, I would say I鈥檓 going to get all the conditioning I need in camp to start Week 1 on no pitch count,鈥� he said.
Kraft鈥檚 injury ended what had been the best season of his career.
The 2023 third-round draft pick out of South Dakota State caught 32 passes for 489 yards in eight games. Although Kraft played fewer than half of the Packers鈥� games, his six touchdown catches tied for the team lead.
The week before his injury, Kraft caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in a
鈥淚 thought that at a combination of the do-it-all Y, which is me, that there wasn鈥檛 another guy in the league that was doing it as well as I was,鈥� Kraft said. 鈥淪ome people might think I鈥檓 delusional to say that, but 鈥� the film is going to speak for itself. Outside zone, inside zone, screen game, down the field, just as far as putting it all together, I felt like I was in a great spot.鈥�
Kraft鈥檚 rehabilitation was particularly frustrating because he was unable to help the Packers when they Green Bay lost its final four regular-season games and blew a 21-3 lead in a 31-27 at Chicago.
鈥淚 watched every game from the couch Week 8 and on last year, so the hardest part for me is I鈥檝e always been a leader with the way I do things physically, not necessarily with how I talk and present myself to the team in other settings,鈥� Kraft said. 鈥淪o losing that ability to show the boys, this is how we do it, this is the physical standard, this is the precedent, I鈥檇 say that was the hardest part for me.鈥�
Kraft said he鈥檚 now feeling better than he expected at this point in his recovery.
鈥淚 think the good Lord put us on this world to endure and there have been so many things I鈥檝e found out about myself through this process 鈥� good and bad,鈥� Kraft said. 鈥淭here are things about myself that I was able to correct. Strengths I鈥檓 going to be able to show everyone when this is all said and done. 鈥� I don鈥檛 think something like this had to happen to me to get better. I think I had the right mindset prior to my injury, but now I know what it鈥檚 about and I know how much I love this game and all the support system I鈥檝e had to get past it.鈥�
Kraft also knows how much he would love to stay in Green Bay for years to come.
The Packers already have signed wide receivers and to long-term deals over the last two months. Kraft figures to be next in line, as his contract is set to expire after the season and the Packers don鈥檛 want to see him enter free agency.
鈥淲e put it all together, it can be very dangerous,鈥� Reed said this week. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really no limit to it. Tuck鈥檚 a dog, man. It鈥檚 on tape.鈥�
Kraft didn鈥檛 want to comment on contract talks Wednesday beyond expressing his hopes in getting a deal done.
鈥淚 want to play for this organization my entire career,鈥� Kraft said. 鈥淚鈥檓 spoiled to have been drafted here and this is all I know. Green and gold is all I know, so we鈥檇 like to keep it that way.鈥�
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