Tucker Kraft, Michael Mayer join highest-paid tight ends with contract extensions

Kraft and Mayer came to terms with their teams just over 24 hours out from their season openers Sep 12, 2026 at 11:35 am ET • 2 min read Negotiations between the Green Bay Packers and tight end Tucker Kraft went down to the wire, but the sides agreed on a contract extension just in time for the start of the 2026 season. Kraft will sign a four-year, $75 million extension to become the NFL's third-highest-paid tight end on a per-year basis, according to ESPN.The contract carries an average annual value of $18.75 million, which ranks just behind that of San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle and Arizona Cardinals standout Trey McBride. Incentives can make the deal worth up to $92 million, and it comes with a $26.5 million signing bonus.Kraft has been among the most pleasant surprises from the middle rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft class. The third-rounder made an impact as a rookie but fully broke out in his second year when he became an every-week starter and amassed 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. A torn ACL cut his 2025 campaign short after just eight games, but he was well on his way to setting new career highs in every category, as he was on pace for more than 60 catches, 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns.Prior to the injury, Kraft led all tight ends last year in yards after catch (344) and yards per reception (15.3). He ranked in a tie for second with six touchdowns and stood third at the position in receiving yards at 489. The torrid start to Kraft's career places him in rare company. He joined Rob Gronkowski and Mark Andrews as just the third tight end this century to tally 100 catches, 1,500 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over his first three NFL seasons.Michael Mayer also lands sizable extensionSaturday was a great day to be a high-performing tight end. Moments after Kraft secured his extension, the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to terms with Michael Mayer on a deal of his own. The team announced a multi-year extension with the 2023 second-round draft pick which, according to ESPN/NFL Media, covers three years and is worth $45 million with $30 million guaranteed.While Mayer is only the No. 2 tight end on the Raiders' roster behind Brock Bowers, the $15 million average annual value is the fourth-largest at the position. It is also the biggest three-year deal for a tight end in NFL history. He is set to take on a sizable workload over the first few weeks of the season while Bowers recovers from a meniscus trim, which he underwent on Tuesday. Mayer is more than capable of keeping the Raiders' offense afloat while Bowers is on the mend. He already has 32 starts under his belt and boasts 83 career receptions for 788 yards and three touchdowns, and a meaningful amount of that production came last year when Bowers missed five games with knee issues.NFL's highest-paid tight endsPlayerTeamAAVGeorge Kittle49ers$19.1 millionTrey McBrideCardinals$19 millionTucker KraftPackers$18.75 millionKyle PittsFalcons$17.67 millionMichael MayerRaiders$15 millionIsaiah LikelyGiants$13.33 millionThere was some thought that Kraft could reset the tight end market when he eventually secured his first massive contract, but while the deal places him in the top tier of earners at the position, the market still awaits its first $20 million salary. None of Kraft, Mayer or even Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Kyle Pitts cracked that barrier. Pitts' deal earlier in the offseason did, however, set a position record for guaranteed money at $36 million.If a tight end is to finally break that $20 million threshold, it could be either Bowers or Detroit Lions weapon Sam LaPorta, who are next in line to receive life-changing money.