Who Was MVP of Packers’ Victory Over Commanders?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – There was one person in the Green Bay Packers’ locker room on Thursday night who perhaps was a bit less enthusiastic about tight end Tucker Kraft’s dominant performance against the Washington Commanders.

“He’s a great player,” defensive end Micah Parsons said. “The strides I’ve seen, I’m over here pissed I ain’t take him in fantasy.”

While the Parson-fueled defense was great against the pass and the run against the Commanders and set the tone for the 27-18 victory, it was the offense that exploded and ultimately brought home the win.

While there were impressive performances by Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and Romeo Doubs, it was tight end Tucker Kraft who stole the show and made critical plays on each of the Packers’ first four scoring possessions to earn our MVP honors.

“Whatever I can do to just help the team win. That is my main goal,” Kraft said about his performance. “I have individual aspirations, but I don’t want them to get in the way of what we have in store for the team, as well. So, by moving the ball, moving the sticks, being aggressive with the ball in my hands, that’s a way for me to bring momentum to the offense and for us to continue to keep it rolling.”

Kraft finished the game with six receptions on seven targets for 124 yards and one touchdown. The catches tied his single-game career high, and the yardage shattered his previous single-game record of 88.

The highlight of Kraft’s night, and one of the highlights of the night overall, was a 57-yard catch and run that flipped the field and brought the Packers offense from their own 23-yard line straight into the red zone to set up the first touchdown.

I won't question how he ended up that open, but this play from Love to Kraft was beautiful. pic.twitter.com/wheeXP2bTp
— Jacob Slinkman (@JacobSlinkman) September 13, 2025

When asked how he got so open on that play, Kraft credited the play design.

“We got on the line of scrimmage, and I could hear them calling for, when Luke (Musgrave) and I were on the ball together, the defense refers to that as a Y-Y set,” Kraft said. “So, they were waiting for the toss. They thought we were going to run the ball. So, we just had them communicating wrong, and we were able to gash them.”

Kraft caught the ball 18 yards downfield and added 39 yards after the catch.

While Kraft had a great individual performance, he was quick to credit his teammates for helping make it possible.

“With all the playmakers that we have on our offense, you might as well just call us a five-man dragon. We’ve got depth at wide receiver. You saw guys make critical catches today. You had Malik Heath, that toe-tap; (Dontayvion) Wicks coming back to the ball in that 2-minute drill before the half. Just a bunch of dawgs, man, and I’m happy they’re on my side.”

Kraft’s big play showed his athleticism. His 17-yard catch on the team’s second touchdown possession showed the physicality that is a hallmark of his game. He caught a 1-yard pass in the flat, shoved safety Will Harris to the turf and turned upfield for an additional 16 yards.

That play was a continuation from last season when, according to Pro Football Focus, he ranked first among tight ends with 15 broken tackles and first with 9.3 yards after the catch per catch.

“We throw a little boot-keeper, if you will, slant-keeper out in the flat and there’s a guy right there and he throws him by and gets 15, 16 yards whatever it was,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

“He’s a guy that approaches the game the right way. I can’t say enough great things about Tuck and just the growth that we’ve seen from him from the time he’s gotten here. But it’s not only on the football field, it’s every facet of life, I would say. And he’s a real leader for us.”

Later, his 19-yard catch helped set up Brandon McManus’ chip-shot field goal, meaning he had explosive gains on the first three scoring drives. On the fourth touchdown drive, the one he capped with a touchdown, he also converted a third-and-6.

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— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 12, 2025

“Tuck’s a guy that’s going to have a big year,” Love said.

He’s on his way. So far this season, he is looking like he will blow his 2024 production out of the water.

After being selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, Kraft enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, when he caught 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. Among tight ends, he ranked only 20th in targets and 18th in receptions but was second with 14.1 yards per catch.

It’s early, obviously, but he has caught eight passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, which puts him on a pace for 68 receptions for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Kraft isn’t just one of the team’s leading pass-catchers. He’s one of the team’s leaders, which is why he joined Love and Jacobs as permanent team captains on offense.

“That was pretty special,” he said. “It’s something that I wasn’t necessarily surprised just because just how much I do breathe the standard I carry with me in everything I do. The early mornings, the late afternoons here, trying to be that smile for the guys that don’t know what they’re doing, they’re unsure about their status in the locker room.

“It doesn’t matter who it is, I come in here and I just try to get some recovery and a workout in and it takes me 4 hours because I talk to everybody in the building. It’s just how you carry yourself and how your teammates respond to you.”

While everyone wants to be the best at their position in the NFL, that’s not all that is important to Kraft.

“I just want to be one of the best teammates for my team,” he said. “Regardless of tiers, where people put me, how many people in my DMs b*tching me out about their bets or fantasy bulls**t, I just want to be the best tight end I can be for the Green Bay Packers.”

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