Getty David Bakhtiari #69 of the Green Bay Packers leaves the field following a game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on November 29, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bears 45-21.
The Green Bay Packers are getting closer to having back All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, but don’t hold your breath on seeing him for Thursday Night Football.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur exercised caution when speaking about Bakhtiari’s recovery on Tuesday, October 26, acknowledging that there is a chance he could be activated in time for Week 8’s road matchup with the Arizona Cardinals but also emphasizing that “timing” will be an important factor in determining his status.
“I think everything is up in the air with him,” LaFleur said when specifically asked about Bakhtiari playing in Week 8. “I said a long time ago it will be day-to-day, but the last thing we want to do is, again, put him at further risk. He’s coming off a really significant injury. He looks great. He’s worked his tail off. He’s put a lot of hours in. We just want to make sure the timing’s right.”
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Week 9 Looks More Likely for Bakhtiari
LaFleur also elaborated on what the process of activating Bakhtiari looks like, telling reporters on Tuesday that a decision is made “collectively” during meetings involving him, Bakhtiari, general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers’ medical staff. The end goal, of course, is simply to determine whether he is “ready to go” again.
Bakhtiari — who has been named an All-Pro in each of the past five seasons — did return to practice in Week 7 for the first time since tearing his ACL on last New Year’s Eve, but players coming off the PUP list are given a 21-day activation window to be added back to the active roster. It is possible the Packers would prefer to use the majority of that time to let him ramp up instead of hurrying him back into the fold, especially with a long break between this week’s matchup in Arizona and their next game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, November 7.
The Packers have also been able to hold the line well enough in their seven games without Bakhtiari this season, even making do with Yosh Nijman at left tackle for three games while their first-choice replacement, Elgton Jenkins, was out with an injury. While it will surely be a sturdier offensive line once Bakhtiari is back, there are no alarms sounding with the current alignment to pressure them into making a hasty decision.