Getty David Bakhtiari #69 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field on August 19, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
David Bakhtiari is officially back at practice for the Green Bay Packers.
According to head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers activated their five-time All-Pro left tackle off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on August 21 and put him through individual drills for the day at training-camp practice, beginning the process of easing him back into their starting lineup for the 2022 season.
“He’s only going to do individual [drills],” LaFleur said ahead of practice. “So you guys can kind of temper the expectations because I know there’s going to be a bunch of questions now. It’ll just be individual. It’s just the next step, but we are excited to get him out there on the grass and we’ll take it one day at a time.”
#Packers LT David Bakhtiari is officially off the PUP list and heads to practice with Aaron Rodgers bumping Snoop Dogg’s ‘Gin and Juice’.
Welcome back, 69.
The Packers now have just two players remaining on their PUP list: veteran kicker Mason Crosby and running back Kylin Hill. Crosby has been recovering from an offseason knee surgery and is planning to be ready in time for Week 1 against the Vikings, but there is no clear timetable on when Hill — who is about 10 months into his recovery from a torn ACL — might return to the field. Right now, it seems likely that he will be the only player on the Packers’ roster to be placed on the in-season PUP list.
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No Promises on Bakhtiari’s Week 1 Status
Bakhtiari’s return to practice is a significant step forward for a veteran player who has spent nearly 20 months recovering from a torn ACL and other complications in his left knee. After sustaining his initial injury on New Year’s Eve of 2020, he spent almost the entire 2021 season recovering and played just 27 snaps in the regular-season finale against the Detriot Lions before getting shut down for the playoffs. He also sat out for all of OTAs in the spring and landed on the PUP list when players reported for camp.
While it is objectively good for the Packers to have Bakhtiari back at practice, neither he nor his head coach is making any promises about his status for their Sept. 11 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers have spent far too long worrying about Bakhtiari’s knee to rush the process, and Bakhtiari told reporters after practice that he is not sure if his “test is done yet.”
“He’s been making really good progress, and mentally, I think he’s in a very good place as well,” LaFleur added. “He’s worked his tail off for a long time now to get to this point, and so, just as far as making the decision, I got a text a little bit ago that he was coming off, so I was pretty excited about that.”
Packers Eyeing Full-Strength OL for Week 1
The Packers came into training camp with their top two offensive linemen — Bakhtiari and Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins — on the PUP list recovering from torn ACLs, casting doubts on whether either one of them would be ready in time for Week 1. Now that both are back at practice with weeks to spare, though, there’s a legitimate chance the Packers will start the new season with their offensive line at full strength.
In an ideal scenario where everyone is ready to roll, the Packers would re-insert Bakhtiari as their starting left tackle and move Jenkins over to start on the right. A combination of Zach Tom, Royce Newman, Jon Runyan Jr. and Sean Rhyan could then battle it out for the guard spots surrounding second-year center Josh Myers. However it shakes out, that’s a pretty sturdy looking offensive line in front of Aaron Rodgers.
In the event that either Bakhtiari or Jenkins doesn’t suit up for Week 1, the Packers also have Yosh Nijman currently working at left tackle with the starters. He handled the position for the majority of 2021 while Bakhtiari was out and, at the very least, should provide the team with a quality swing tackle on their depth chart.