David Bakhtiari

WR Notes: Watson, Metchie, Chark, McLaurin, Smith-Njigba

September 8th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Jordan Love‘s tenure as the Packers‘ full-time starting quarterback will have a bit of a hurdle to navigate this week. In his first start since November 2021, Love will be without the team’s top returning receiver Christian Watson, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Watson is dealing with a hamstring injury that could potentially lead to an extended absence. Head coach Matt LaFleur claimed that he doesn’t think Watson will reach a three- or four-week absence but classified the second-year wideout as week-to-week.

The top target in Watson’s absence, fellow sophomore receiver Romeo Doubs, is also dealing with a hamstring injury but is only listed as questionable heading into the weekend. Rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks is the third such receiver on the team dealing with a hamstring injury, but he managed to avoid the injury report altogether. Star tackle David Bakhtiari is also available after staying off the injury report.

Here are a few more reports on wide receiver injuries from around the league heading into Week 1:

The world will have to continue to wait for the NFL debut of Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Despite making a recovery from both a torn ACL and leukemia, Metchie is still dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Houston is being patient, taking a “big-picture approach” to Metchie’s return. The team will be without safety Jimmie Ward and linebacker Blake Cashman for Week 1, as well.
The Panthers are slowly working their way back to full health in their receiving corps, according to Panthers writer Augusta Stone. Back ups Terrace Marshall and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are now fully participating in practice after recent injury trouble. Starters Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark Jr. both returned to practice today in a limited capacity. While Thielen was listed as questionable and could still play, Chark has been ruled out for the team’s season opener.
The Commanders drew lots of criticism when leading receiver Terry McLaurin sustained an injury as the team played its starters fairly deep into a preseason game in an effort to end the Ravens’ preseason win streak. They’ll dodge a bullet, though, as McLaurin will be active this week after making good progress from his turf toe injury, according to Commanders senior writer Zach Selby. He’s had a couple of full participation practices and should be good to go for Week 1. Defensive end Chase Young has been listed as questionable, though. Head coach Ron Rivera claimed that “if (Young’s) cleared, he’ll go.”
Despite undergoing wrist surgery just two and a half weeks ago, Seahawks rookie first round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to play in the team’s season opener against the Rams this Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Head coach Pete Carroll, who was optimistic on the recovery timeline, confirmed as much this week.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Lions, Hockenson

September 7th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashan Gary is all set to debut in Week 1, completing his recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2022 season in November. But the Packers will begin their top pass rusher on a pitch count to start the season, Matt LaFleur confirmed (via Packers Wire’s Zach Kruse). This could open the door for early-season Lukas Van Ness development. The Packers still roster Preston Smith, who is going into his fifth season with the team, and Van Ness contributed as an inside and outside rusher at Iowa. The team has versatile linebacker Justin Hollins and 2022 fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare, who became a primary starter after Gary went down last season, as options while Gary ramps up to a full workload.

Additionally on the Green Bay injury front, David Bakhtiari, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are viewed as game-time decisions for Sunday’s opener against the Bears. Bakhtiari, who has seen knee trouble sidetrack his career to a degree over the past two-plus years, is listed on the injury report with more knee trouble. He expects to play, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. Both starting receivers are battling hamstring maladies and have not practiced this week. Here is the latest from the NFC North:

As for tonight’s game, the Lions ruled out cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Although Detroit activated Moseley off its active/PUP list before roster-cutdown day, the free agency addition underwent a second knee procedure this summer and was viewed as a long shot to start the year on time. Moseley is finishing up a recovery from an October 2022 ACL tear.
Isaiah Buggs started 13 games at nose tackle for last season’s Lions edition, but the veteran was informed in advance he would be a healthy scratch tonight, the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers notes. The Lions gave Buggs a two-year, $4.5MM deal in March but gave more snaps to rookie Brodric Martin and Benito Jones during camp. Buggs believes his lack of offseason attendance affected the team’s decision, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The former Steelers contributor said his wife giving birth led to him staying away during OTAs. Jones and Alim McNeill are expected to start in Kansas City, Birkett adds.
Going into free agency, the Bears did extensive work on Dre’Mont Jones, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Although the Bears carried plenty of cap space into free agency, they chose to stand down on Jones and spend for the likes of Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, T.J. Edwards and DeMarcus Walker. The team later addressed its D-tackle needs in the draft, choosing three — Zacch Pickens (Round 2), Gervon Dexter (Round 3) and Travis Bell (Round 7) — on Day 2. This duo should be expected to play bigger roles down the line, but in Week 1, Justin Jones and Andrew Billings are slated to start. A four-year Broncos regular, Jones ended up with the Seahawks on a three-year, $51MM deal.
T.J. Hockenson‘s four-year, $66MM Vikings extension comes with $29.29MM fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. That number checks in fourth among tight ends — behind Kyle Pitts‘ rookie deal and the extensions for Mark Andrews and George Kittle. Hockenson’s 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed. His $10.9MM 2025 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes that number shifts to a full guarantee a year early (March 2024). The Vikings did not use the year-out guarantee structure for Hockenson’s 2026 setup, giving them more flexibility. Hockenson has $2.3MM of his 2026 base ($15.4MM) guaranteed for injury; it does not shift to a full guarantee until March 2026, giving the Vikings additional flexibility. Hockenson’s cap number will climb from $5MM this year to $14.1MM in 2024, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets.

Packers GM Shoots Down David Bakhtiari Trade Rumors

August 18th, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The rumors haven’t been rampant, but the source of the rumor is enough to catch the media’s eye. Regardless, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to definitively clarify that the team has no intentions of trading away veteran offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

As far as we can trace, any hint of this rumor originates from Bakhtiari’s former teammate Aaron Rodgers. The polarizing quarterback is with the Jets now and has brought along several of his former Green Bay teammates. As Armando Salguero of OutKick explored some potential solutions to the Jets’ deteriorating depth at tackle, he looked to the New York passer’s suggestion.

When Rodgers finally found himself in a Jets uniform, he reportedly gave up $35MM in salary to accommodate additions to the roster around him. This leeway reportedly helped the Jets to bring in a player like running back Dalvin Cook after already having acquired the likes of Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb. Salguero reports that Rodgers has “privately mentioned Bakhtiari” as the team’s potential solution at tackle. The report claims that Rodgers has floated the idea to Bakhtiari himself, even.

Despite the rumor being fairly baseless, Gutekunst still apparently felt the need to address it, shutting down the notion in the process. True, the team would save $2.25MM in cap space for this year, but the Packers would also eat $19.08MM in dead money and be required to find a replacement at left tackle for only the second time in the past ten years.

Unless New York comes ready to part with one of their top draft picks in the next year or so, it seems highly unlikely that there will be any traction on this rumor. Gutekunst’s stance is currently that Bakhtiari is not for sale. Rodgers has received quite a bit from his wish-list this offseason, but this is seeming like a step too far.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Offense

July 11th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s salary cap once again ballooned by more than $10MM, rising from its $208.2MM perch to $224.8MM. Factoring in the pandemic-induced 2021 regression, the NFL’s salary risen has climbed by more than $42MM since 2021.

This has allowed teams more opportunities for roster additions and opened the door for more lucrative player deals — at most positions, at least. However, it does not look like this season will include a $40MM player cap number. The Browns avoided a record-shattering Deshaun Watson $54.9MM hit by restructuring the quarterback’s fully guaranteed contract, calling for monster figures from 2024-26.

Here are the largest cap hits for teams on the offensive side going into training camp:

Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $39.69MM
Ryan Tannehill, QB (Titans): $36.6MM
Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $30.98MM
Jake Matthews, T (Falcons): $28.36MM
Trent Williams, T (49ers): $27.18MM
Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $26.83MM
Laremy Tunsil, T (Texans): $26.61MM
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers): $23.8MM
Amari Cooper, WR (Browns): $23.78MM
Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $23.69MM
Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens): $23.67MM
Joe Thuney, G (Chiefs): $22.12MM
Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $22MM
Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $22MM
Daniel Jones, QB (Giants): $21.75MM
David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $21.29MM
Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $20.25MM
D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $20.17MM
Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $20MM
Brian O’Neill, T (Vikings): $19.66MM
Taylor Decker, T (Lions): $19.35MM
Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $19.1MM
Braden Smith, T (Colts): $19MM
Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $18.64MM
Courtland Sutton, WR (Broncos): $18.27MM

As should be expected, quarterbacks dominate this list. Mahomes’ number checks in here despite the Chiefs restructuring his 10-year, $450MM contract in March; the two-time MVP’s cap hit would have set an NFL record had Kansas City not reduced it. The Chiefs did not restructure Mahomes’ deal last year, but if they do not address it — perhaps via a complex reworking — before next season, Mahomes’ $46.93MM number would break an NFL record.

The Titans have not touched Tannehill’s contract this offseason, one that included some trade rumors months ago. This is the final year of Tannehill’s Tennessee extension. Mahomes and Tannehill sat atop this ranking in 2022.

Cousins is also heading into a contract year, after the Vikings opted for a restructure and not an extension this offseason. Cousins does not expect to discuss another Minnesota deal until 2024, when he is due for free agency. Two relatively low cap numbers have started Wilson’s $49MM-per-year extension. The Denver QB’s cap number rises to $35.4MM in 2024 and reaches historic heights ($55.4MM) by ’25. The subject of a Goff extension has come up, and it would bring down the Lions passer’s figure. But Goff remains tied to his Rams-constructed $33.5MM-per-year deal through 2024.

Jackson and Jones’ numbers will rise in the near future, with the latter’s contract calling for a quick spike in 2024. Next year, the Giants QB’s cap hit will be $45MM. Watson’s 2024 hit, as of now, would top that. The Browns signal-caller is on the team’s ’24 payroll at $63.98MM. Long-term consequences aside, the Browns can be expected to once again go to the restructure well with Watson’s outlier contract.

The Raiders did not backload Garoppolo’s three-year contract; it only climbs to $24.25MM on Las Vegas’ 2024 cap sheet. The Bills did backload Allen’s pact. Its team-friendly years are done after 2023; the six-year accord spikes to $47.1MM on Buffalo’s cap next year. The Cowboys have gone to the restructure well with Prescott. Like Watson, the Cowboys quarterback is tied to a seemingly untenable 2024 cap number. The March restructure resulted in Prescott’s 2024 number rising to $59.46MM. Two seasons remain on that $40MM-AAV extension.

Another notable cap hold that should be mentioned is Tom Brady‘s. When the Buccaneers did not sign the again-retired QB to another contract before the 2023 league year, his $35.1MM dead-money figure went onto Tampa Bay’s 2023 cap sheet. The Bucs will absorb that entire amount this year. Brady’s 2022 restructure, after retirement No. 1, led to the $35.1MM figure forming.

Were it not for another O-line-record extension, the Tunsil number would have come in at $35MM this year. Matthews signed an extension last year. Moore would have come in higher on this list were he still on the Panthers, who took on $14.6MM in dead money to move their top wideout for the No. 1 overall pick. Sutton came up regularly in trade rumors, with the Broncos wanting a second-round pick for the sixth-year veteran. The former second-rounder’s high base salary ($14MM) hinders his trade value.

Latest On Packers LT David Bakhtiari

June 19th, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the Packers’ success on offense in 2023 will depend on the play of Jordan Love in his first season as a starting quarterback and that of the team’s young pass-catching corps. One of the unit’s most important contributors, though, will still be David Bakhtiari.

The veteran left tackle has been a mainstay throughout his 10-year career in Green Bay, but injuries have defined him for much of the recent past. A 2020 ACL tear has proven to be challenging to overcome for the 31-year-old, after it limited him to just one game the following season and delayed his debut in 2022. Multiple surgeries were required to allow the two-time All-Pro to eventually return to the field.

Bakhtiari wound up playing 11 games last year, one in which he practiced on a limited basis while rehabbing the surgically-repaired knee. An appendectomy also cost him time, but the former ailment is the one understandably receiving attention heading into training camp and the regular season. The three-time Pro Bowler feels as though he is in a good situation on that front as things currently stand, though.

“I feel really good,” Bakhtiari said, via Pete Dougherty of PackersNews.com (subscription required). “Obviously I don’t want to jinx it or oversell anything. But I think it will show up in how much I play… I was just giving it everything I could to make it work for last year. It wasn’t ideal, but sometimes you’re not dealt the best hand. Now I’d say from a strength standpoint I feel very strong.”

The Packers will no doubt proceed with caution with their blindside blocker considering his injury history and his importance to the team’s offense. Bakhtiari remained a standout performer, especially in pass protection, when on the field last year as his PFF evaluations demonstrate. A fully healthy campaign in 2023 would mark his first in four years, but it would provide Green Bay with vital stability along their offensive front. In the event Bakhtiari’s knee does not hold up as expected in training camp, though, other in-house options will be considered.

The Packers did not make any additions up front in free agency, and none of the team’s 13 selections in this year’s draft were used on O-linemen. That would leave Yosuah Nijman and Zach Tom – who combined to fill in for Bakhtiari on the blindside in 2022 during his absences – in line at the LT spot should the latter miss time again. The chances of that happening in 2023, however, appear lower than in recent years.

Aaron Rodgers Addresses Latest Trade Rumors, Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett Hire

January 31st, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

During the first round of Aaron Rodgers trade rumors, the source rarely provided insight about his situation. With Rodgers now having a weekly radio spot, his status is never far off the radar. The 18-year Packers quarterback had more news to address Tuesday.

A weekend report from ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicated the Packers would prefer to move on from Rodgers. This would mean giving another team responsibility of the $58.3MM bonus, which can be paid at any point this offseason, but also taking on a substantial dead-money hit — should a trade occur before June 1 — and committing to seeing what Jordan Love has to offer.

Rodgers is well aware of the conversations occurring among Packers brass, per Schefter, and the 39-year-old superstar certainly seemed to confirm as such. “It sounds like there’s already conversations going on that aren’t involving me, which are interesting,” Rodgers said during his latest Pat McAfee Show interview (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). This response also came to question that did not specifically address the Schefter report.

The Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett OC hire also did plenty to fuel speculation Rodgers could be headed out of Green Bay. Again offering praise for Hackett — the Packers’ OC from 2019-21 — Rodgers said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) the former Green Bay assistant was among his favorites. Robert Saleh downplayed the Rodgers-Hackett connection, as should be expected, but the Jets are evaluating Rodgers, Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Rodgers reiterated he has not made a decision about returning but pointed to one of the two decisions on his plate — seemingly calls on playing and staying with the Packers — being made in “a couple weeks.” Carr, Garoppolo and Rodgers could all be available at different points on the calendar — Carr in February, Garoppolo in March and Rodgers potentially in June, when a trade would be less financially punishing for the Packers — adding an interesting wrinkle to this year’s QB market.

Green Bay moving on this offseason would be eerily similar territory, especially with New York being in the equation again. The Packers have used Rodgers as their starter since trading Brett Favre to the Jets in August 2008. The Jets have not acquired a franchise-caliber veteran since that Favre deal, which was only for a conditional third-round pick. Rodgers is expected to command more in a deal. Favre turned 39 shortly after being dealt to the Jets; Rodgers turned 39 last month. Love is going into his fourth season, just as Rodgers was in 15 years ago.

The Packers’ direction will also influence their decision on keeping Rodgers, who mentioned five players — David Bakhtiari, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis — as those he wants as teammates. All but Bakhtiari are free agents. Cobb and Lewis’ statuses with the Packers almost certainly depend on Rodgers’, Demovsky adds. Both vets likely will not return to the team if Rodgers is not back. Bakhtiari is due a $9.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2023 league year and is set to carry a $28.9MM cap number. Bakhtiari should be expected to return on a restructured deal, per Demovsky. The former All-Pro left tackle said he is not planning to retire, and Brian Gutekunst said he expects the 10-year veteran to be back.

Packers GM Addresses QB Situation

January 13th, 2023 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Delivering an earlier-than-usual autopsy of the Packers’ season, Brian Gutekunst addressed what has already become a third straight offseason of Aaron Rodgers-driven uncertainty.

The sixth-year Packers GM said Jordan Love is “definitely” ready to play, indicating (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, on Twitter) the three-year backup is “chomping at the bit” to become the team’s starter. When asked which quarterback would give the Packers the best chance to win next season, Gutekunst deferred to Rodgers’ four MVP honors.

Once the object of Rodgers ire, Gutekunst earned his way back into the future Hall of Famer’s good graces to close out a turbulent 2021. Rodgers ended up signing a three-year, $150.8MM extension in March 2022. That record-setting contract does give the Packers some flexibility, allowing a $58MM bonus to be paid at any point in 2023. That opens the door for a trade, and Rodgers said last week his Green Bay future may not be entirely up to him. Rodgers, 39, looks to also be considering retirement.

Gutekunst did not entertain the prospect of a Rodgers trade when asked about it Friday and said he can see a scenario in which Rodgers and Love are on the roster together for a fourth season, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. The Packers have received criticism for using a first-round pick on Love and sitting him for three seasons, effectively squandering the rookie-contract resource that has been so valuable to teams who have taken first-round QBs since the 2011 CBA reshaped rookie deals. The Packers must decide on Love’s fully guaranteed fifth-year option in May.

Love is on Green Bay’s payroll at $3.94MM for 2023; Rodgers would check in with a $31.62MM cap number. Unless the Packers trade Rodgers or he retires, the team could conceivably run back a Rodgers-Love depth chart for a fourth straight year. Given how far the team has pushed the Love apprenticeship, it would make sense to — NFL norms be damned — extend that into 2023. But the Packers’ QB depth chart is not yet certain. Gutekunst said (via Silverstein, on Twitter) he wants both players back and that Rodgers will take his time and regularly communicate with the team.

Rodgers fell off the MVP perch this season, with the Packers’ controversial strategy at wide receiver impacting the superstar QB’s performance. Gutekunst said as much Friday, indicating (via Silverstein) the Davante Adams trade played a role in Rodgers’ numbers dipping in 2022. Thumb and rib injuries plagued Rodgers this season as well, leading to Love making an intriguing cameo in Philadelphia. The Packers staying in the NFC wild-card race kept Love on the bench. QBR was particularly harsh on Rodgers, dropping him from first (in 2021) to 26th. Trade interest would undoubtedly come, were the Packers to consider it this time around. They resisted Broncos interest in 2021, and Rodgers decided to stay in Green Bay via the extension last year.

Regardless of Rodgers’ status, Gutekunst said restructures are a near-certainty. Early projections have the Packers at $13MM over the 2023 cap, though the 2023 salary ceiling has not yet been finalized. Gutekunst expects both Aaron Jones and David Bakhtiari to return next season as well (Twitter links via Schenidman and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky).

Jones’ cap number balloons to $5.9MM to $20MM next season; a restructure would knock that down while adding to future cap figures. Bakhtiari’s cap figure will spike from $13.4MM to $29.1MM. While the All-Pro left tackle returned to action this season, the knee trouble that shelved him in 2021 limited him to 11 games this season. Bakhtiari, who has missed 30 games since the 2020 season (counting playoff tilts), said recently he does not intend to retire.

Packers LT David Bakhtiari Out For Week 13; Aaron Rodgers Cleared To Start

December 2nd, 2022 at 4:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers announced on Friday that left tackle David Bakhtiari underwent an appendectomy earlier today. As a result, he has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Bears.

The 31-year-old tweeted an encouraging update with respect to the procedure being a success. That will likely limit the length of his latest absence, but this news nevertheless marks another reason for Bakhtiari to be sidelined. His career has been greatly hampered by a 2020 ACL tear.

That injury cost him all but one game last season, and led to multiple operations aimed at returning him to full health. He and the team hoped for a Week 1 appearance in 2022, but his season debut ultimately had to wait until two weeks later. Even after he returned, the three-time Pro Bowler did so in a rotational capacity for two of his first three games, and followed an unusual practice schedule.

Overall, though, Bakhtiari has regained his elite form of previous years, earning a PFF grade of 82.1 so far this season. Pass protection in particular has, as usual, been a strongpoint for him individually, though the Packers have been mediocre through the air collectively. This will mark his second missed game since returning to action, leaving Green Bay with fourth-round rookie Zach Tom and starting right tackle Yosuah Nijman among the options to play on the blindside.

Regardless of who is blocking in that position on Sunday, the team’s signal-caller will be a familiar one. Aaron Rodgers was once again a limited participant in practice today, and he does not have an injury designation for Sunday’s contest. That clears the way for him to start, as both he and the team have expected to happen. He will be dealing with thumb and rib injuries when he takes on a Bears team which will welcome back Justin Fields, a passer who is himself coming back from a dislocated shoulder.

Inactives Today: Dotson, Swift, Bakhtiari, Horn

October 23rd, 2022 at 11:04am CST by Ely Allen

Washington was hoping to get its rookie first-round pick back today after missing the past two weeks with a hamstring injury, but, after seemingly reaggravating the hamstring in practice Thursday, Dotson will miss his third game in a row, according to Stacey Dales of NFL Network. In his absence, Washington will rely on Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown to work opposite Terry McLaurin on offense.

The Commanders have been a mixed bag without Dotson in the lineup. In the team’s loss to the Titans two weeks ago, Brown and Samuel combined to catch eight balls for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Brown’s production came on two long touchdown catches, while Samuel was peppered with eight targets working a shorter range. The two did enough to compliment McLaurin and open him up to snag five passes for 76 yards.

There wasn’t much offense to be found the next week during the Commanders’ win in Chicago, as quarterback Carson Wentz only accumulated 99 passing yards. McLaurin showed up, as usual, catching three balls for 41 yards, while Samuel only caught two of his five targets for 6 yards and Brown was only targeted once. The team has also utilized Cam Sims and Dax Milne, but Samuel and Brown seem to be the most capable candidates to replace Dotson’s production.

Here are a few other notes on players listed an inactive today:

Continuing a trend from his first two seasons, injuries seem to be weighing down Lions running back D’Andre Swift this year as he is also set to miss his third straight game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Lions have the very capable legs of backup Jamaal Williams who, despite the offense’s struggles during a Week 5 trip to New England, has performed admirably in the lead role during Swift’s absence. Craig Reynolds has taken up the backup duties with Justin Jackson contributing, as well. All three will likely be needed for a tough trip to Dallas.
The Packers continue to get intermittent play out of star tackle David Bakhtiari due to the lingering effects of his recovery from last year’s ACL tear. After playing sparingly in two of the last four games, Bakhtiari will be out today against the Commanders, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Zach Tom is likely to sub in to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers blindside, while Yosh Nijman slots in at right tackle.
The Panthers will be without second-year cornerback Jaycee Horn for the second week in a row. Last week, the team called on C.J. Henderson to start opposite Donte Jackson but split much of the playing time with second-year backup Keith Taylor. They’ll likely depend on a similar gameplan today against the Buccaneers.

Packers LT David Bakhtiari Expected To Play In Week 3

September 24th, 2022 at 6:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Green Bay appears to be receiving some long-awaited injury news with respect to one of their top players. Left tackle David Bakhtiari is expected to play tomorrow, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Bakhtiari is officially listed as questionable as he continues to deal with the effects of his 2020 ACL tear. That injury left him sidelined for all but the regular season finale last year, and required a third operation this offseason. With plenty of uncertainty surrounding his short- and long-term future, things appeared to take a positive turn on the eve of the season.

The two-time First-Team All-Pro stated that he expected to be available for Week 1, but the Packers continued to rely on Yosuah Nijman instead. That remained the case again the following week, as Nijman continued to operate effectively on the blindside in PFF’s eyes. With a pass-blocking grade of 84.7 and only one penalty committed, he has helped stabilize a Green Bay offensive front which just got Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins back in Week 2.

Still, a return to the field – and elite form – from Bakhtiari would be a welcomed sight for the Packers. The 30-year-old has been a full-time starter on the blindside since his rookie season, and is the team’s second highest-paid player. With his cap hits scheduled to soar to $29MM and $33MM for the final two years of his contract, it will be important for both player and club to see if he can handle a regular workload.

Doing so could be made easier by the light practice schedule he will be following this season. The first significant test, though, will come tomorrow when the Packers face the Buccaneers in an attempt to move to 2-1. With healthy tackles on both sides of the o-line, Green Bay’s prospects in that game and beyond could be notably improved.

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