There’s been a lot of conversations around Micah Parsons and his return date during the 2026 NFL season. But the Green Bay Packers also have some uncertainty involving an important part of their offense — tight end Tucker Kraft.
Shortly after a coming out party of sorts during primetime in late October last season, the 25-year-old suffered an ACL tear in Week 9. The Packers are optimistic he will be ready for the 2026 season opener, but that’s not a guarantee.
With that in mind, Fansided’s Lombardi Avenue’s Carlos Sanchez argued the Packers should pursue former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller in NFL free agency.
“While Kraft recovers from the ACL, the Packers will have to lean on Luke Musgrave and Josh Whyle. Enter Waller, who’s a much better pass-catcher than both of them,” wrote Sanchez.
“And that’s the thing, Green Bay let Romeo Doubs walk in free agency and later traded Dontavyion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles. Sure, sophomore Matthew Golden is expected to make a leap, so the cupboard isn’t fully bare. Having said that, general manager Brian Gutekunst needs to bolster Jordan Love’s arsenal of weapons, especially if Kraft misses any time.”
Waller made the Pro Bowl with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. During back-to-back seasons from 2019-20, Waller had at least 90 catches and more than 1,100 receiving yards in each campaign.
Last season, Waller posted 24 catches, 283 receiving yards and six touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins.
Could Darren Waller Temporary Help Replace Tucker Kraft?
Besides Waller’s credentials, Sanchez stressed the Packers should add another tight end this offseason because the team recently lost tight end depth.
Green Bay waived tight end Luke Lachey on May 12. The Packers failed Lachey’s physical.
That leaves the Packers with six tight ends on their offseason roster. Besides Kraft, Green Bay possesses tight end Josh Whyle, Messiah Swinson, Luke Musgrave, RJ Maryland and Drake Dabney.
None of those tight ends have the pass-catching prowess of Waller.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Waller at No. 204 overall in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Ravens cut Waller midway through his fourth season after multiple suspensions.
With the Raiders, though, Waller became a star. He had 90 receptions, 1,145 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2019. Then during 2020, Waller posted 107 catches, 1,196 receiving yards and nine scores.
Now 33 years old, the tight end isn’t that same player. But coming out of retirement last season, he still produced more than the other tight ends on Green Bay’s roster besides Kraft.
Waller had 52 catches, 552 receiving yards and a touchdown with the New York Giants in 2023 prior to his 2024 retirement.
Kraft had the best game of his career with seven catches, 143 receiving yards and two touchdowns on October 26 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. He suffered his ACL injury the following week.
Reasons for Packers Not to Sign Waller
There’s a reason why Waller remains unsigned in NFL free agency. The veteran tight end has experienced injury issues of his own, which led to his retirement two years ago.
He only played in nine games last season for Miami. Waller hasn’t played in more than 12 contests since 2021.
Adding an injury-prone tight end in case Kraft isn’t ready for Week 1 doesn’t sound like great insurance.
From a financial perspective, though, Waller will have little risk. Yet, as a pass-catcher, he offers upside, at the very least as a red zone target.
If Kraft’s recovery timeline remains unclear for Week 1, the Packers could roll the dice on Waller helping fill the void early in the season.
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