Nine months ago, Tucker Kraft had to be carted out of Lambeau Field.
On Friday, Aug. 7, the Green Bay Packers tight end was in a much better state of mind as he stepped back into the stadium, even hopping on the back of Jordan Love for a piggyback ride.
But fans didn’t see him practice at Family Night.
Kraft, who suffered a torn ACL last season on Nov. 2, continues to ease his way back into practice and manage his knee after being taken off the physically unable to perform list earlier in training camp.
Kraft, though, doesn’t want to be on the sidelines anymore.
After Family Night, he had a message that’s exciting Packers Nation and his teammates, with Jayden Reed replying with a goat emoji and Zaire Franklin with a green heart emoji.
“Next time ya’ll see me in Lambeau I’ll be ready to go!” Kraft wrote on Instagram on Sunday, Aug. 9, along with a series of photos from the night, including a cute moment he shared with his wife, Baylee, and their 1-year-old daughter, Charlotte.
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Kraft didn’t specify the date, but he likely means in the regular season since he’s not expected to play in the preseason. The Packers have only one preseason game at Lambeau Field and it’s the finale on Aug. 28.
The Packers’ home opener isn’t until the third week of the season when they welcome the Atlanta Falcons for a Thursday night game on Sept. 24.
Kraft added in the post about Family Night:
“Faith, Family, & The Green Bay Packers. The fireworks and fans were spectacular as always! Such a special night to be surrounded by a supportive football community.”
Tucker Kraft at Family Night
Kraft might not have been practicing but the fourth-year tight end was on the field sporting his No. 85 jersey. And he was as hyped as anyone when Jordan Love drained a ball in the net during a drill.
He even jumped on the back of his quarterback for a celebratory ride.
Tucker Kraft stats
Before his injury in the Week 9 game, Kraft was enjoying a breakout season and was well on his way to a Pro Bowl and likely All-Pro year.
And a national audience saw it when he had career highs in catches (seven) and yards (143) and tied a career-high with two touchdowns in the Packers’ 35-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 26. It was his second 100-plus-yard receiving game of the season.
Even though he played in just over seven games, Kraft’s 489 yards receiving were still third-most on the team for the season and he finished with a team-high 344 yards after contact.
At the time of his injury, Kraft led all NFL tight ends with 15.3 yards after the catch.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tucker Kraft’s message is firing up his teammates and Packers fans
Reporting by Christopher Kuhagen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Christopher Kuhagen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
