Packers LT David Bakhtiari Claps Back At Lonnie Johnson Jr. After Preseason Burn

Maybe once the Packers have started preparing for the Baltimore Ravens next Thursday, they’ll remember that Texans cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. is on his way back to Houston and not coming back to town anytime soon.

But for now anyway, a few of them are still taking the time to remind the audacious rookie that he is not currently welcome Green Bay with a few jokes at his expense.

After Packers backup quarterback Tim Doyle lasered a 29-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard in Thursday night’s 28-26 preseason-opening victory, it didn’t take long for Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari to point out that the downfield play featured Johnson failing to stop his man and coming up short.

 

In Johnson’s defense, Boyle took fantastic advantage of Lazard’s size and threw about as perfect of a pass as he could against the coverage. Credit, too, to Lazard — who had one 7-yard catch last season for the Packers — for having the awareness and hands to seal the deal.

In case you missed it, or just want to see it again with a new set of eyes, check out the Boyle-Lazard connection below:

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The Saga Concludes?

The drama started during the first joint practice between the Packers and Texans earlier this week when Johnson laid out Packers tight end Jace Sternberger, knocking his helmet from his head and flexing over him in celebration as he lay injured. It brought the wrath of everyone in a Packers jersey, even disavowed later by new Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur.

Though he was removed from practice for the day, Johnson remained unapologetic for the hit that resulted in Sternberger being evaluated for a concussion and held out of the preseason opener Thursday night.

When the jokes came for Johnson, though, after clips of the highlight play circled around Twitter, the Texans cornerback took it in stride and paid respect to Lazard for the grab.

Considering the shared next-rep mentality of football players and that the Packers and Texans won’t meet one another for at least another year, chances are this feud dies here. Of course, that depends on the long-term ramifications the hit has on Sternberger.

Latest on Sternberger

Sternberger was inactive for Thursday game, listed out with a concussion/jaw injury.

Both he and Robert Tonyan are vying for spots on the Packers’ 53-man roster, which — given the Packers regular use of double-tight sets — could see the tight end group grow to four with both of them alongside starter Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis.

However, Sternberger is a catch-first end, which increases risk as he returns from the concussion. Not to mention the severity of the jaw injury has not yet been discussed publicly. Both could heavily factor into how the Packers will make their final cuts, especially if there are multiple tough decisions.

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