Just like that, two tight end contract dominoes have fallen. Tucker Kraft awaits his extension, but the picture is becoming clear for what his deal will ultimately look like.
Well, we now know the absolute floor, at least. One day after the Atlanta Falcons handed Kyle Pitts a massive extension worth $18 million annually, the Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly followed by giving Brenton Strange a new deal worth $16 million per year.
Congratulations, Tucker Kraft. You will soon earn, at the very least, $16 million per year. And in all likelihood, his salary will land far higher up the list than that.
It's clearer than ever how much the Packers will pay Tucker Kraft
George Kittle remains the league's highest-paid tight end on a per-year basis with a salary of $19.1 million. Trey McBride isn't far behind at $19 million annually, and Pitts is now third.
It's fair to assume Kraft will hit at least the $18 million salary Pitts is now earning, and it wouldn't be surprising if his contract pushes closer to the top-of-the-market prices. Kraft probably won't reset the market, which may have been necessary had the Falcons completely overpaid with Pitts and made him the highest-paid tight end in football.
The tight end market is moving. Kraft could be next, but so, too, could Sam LaPorta. Will the Detroit Lions move quickly to get in before the Kraft extension? It seems unlikely that LaPorta will reset the market, either, so his new deal will also probably fall somewhere close to Pitts'.
The exact structure of Kraft's deal is harder to predict, as is the ceiling. Will the Packers go all-in and reset the market? Considering Kraft was on an All-Pro trajectory before suffering a torn ACL last season, it's not impossible. Had it not been for that injury, Kraft's performances may have given the team no choice.
But we know the floor. It will be a huge shock if Kraft's extension ends up lower than Strange's $16 million per year, or even Pitts' $18 million salary.
That's the floor for Kraft's inevitable extension. All that remains to be seen is how high the ceiling is.
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