If you want to understand the cruel impermanence of the NFL, take a look at a week in the life of one of its most earnest members.
On October 26, National Tight End’s Day, Packer captain Tucker Kraft called himself “spoiled as F” as he accepted a game ball from head coach Matt LeFluer. His teammates huddled around, chanting his name and showering him with celebratory water.
“I just have immense gratitude for this organization,” he told them as he clutched the game ball. “Being able to get drafted here. Getting the opportunity to work my tail off. I love you guys and I play every play the way I do because I f-n love you guys. “
On that Sunday, Tucker caught the ball seven times for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
A week later, he injured his leg and had to take a slow, sad cart ride out of the stadium. Those stats — that the injury was a torn ACL, that recovery time is nine months, that his season was over — could break your heart.
Prior to the injury, Kraft was enjoying a stellar season as one of the best tight ends in the league. That’s another painful aspect of his story. He was still working under his rookie contract. Based on his play so far, he likely would have been able to negotiate a lucrative contact extension.
I recently heard a retired player call the NFL the Not For Long league and that’s the painful truth. Long careers are the exception in a contact sport that requires speed, strength, agility, a solid work ethic and luck.
Tucker Kraft had all five of those attributes heading into the Carolina game. In a split second, that last one faltered.
Fortunately, we already know a little something about Kraft’s resilience.
We know that his dad Doug died in a plane crash when Tucker was just 12-years old. We know he grew up in Timber Lake, South Dakota, population 500. We saw most of that town crowded into the Timber Lake Corner Bar and Grill to watch him play on Sunday Night Football.
We know that Kraft’s mom, Tausha, a nurse, fought her way back from a debilitating autoimmune disease while grieving her husband and raising three boys.
He has said he finds inspiration from both his parents and from the town that helped raise him and his brothers.
He’ll have plenty more support as he fights his way back from this injury.
He also knows a little something about rehabbing injuries. He’s recovered from them before — a sprained ankle in 2022 during his senior year at South Dakota State, a torn pectoral muscle last year with the Packers.
I have no doubt we’ll see Tucker Kraft back on the field next season. He’ll probably even bounce back hard enough to secure that big contract extension.
But, we’re really going to miss him this year and, man, sometimes the sports gods don’t play fair.
