David Bakhtiari

Latest On Packers LT David Bakhtiari

September 19th, 2022 at 10:01am CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers hoped to have David Bakhtiari back in the lineup to start the 2022 season, but that has not come to fruition. The All-Pro left tackle sat out once again during last night’s game against the Bears, and is facing an unusual practice routine when he does make his return.

As detailed by Ryan Woods of PackersNews.com, Bakhtiari will not suit up for each of the three consecutive practice days during any given week, even after he has fully recovered from the ACL tear which occurred on New Year’s Eve in 2020. The soon-to-be 31-year-old will therefore not have a full week of preparation in advance of any games he does appear in this season.

“He’s gotten a lot of reps,” head coach Matt LaFleur said of Bakhtiari’s slow journey back to game action. “There’s not many people that can probably have a schedule like that, but I do believe – and we believe as an organization – that he’s one of those guys.”

The former fourth-rounder earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors in 2020, but was limited to just one game played last season as he attempted to come back from the injury. He underwent a third knee surgery this offseason, which led to a stay on the PUP list but also optimism that he would be fully recovered in time for the season opener. In the absence of that taking place, Yosuah Nijman has filled in on the blindside.

In more positive health news, Green Bay was able to welcome back fellow Pro Bowl tackle Elgton Jenkins and No. 1 receiver Allen Lazard yesterday, after the pair were sidelined for Week 1. Their health will give the Packers’ offense a notable boost, but the team’s second highest-paid player appears to face plenty of uncertainty in the short- and long-term future with respect to his availability.

Packers OTs David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, WR Allen Lazard Unlikely To Play Week 1

September 11th, 2022 at 7:49am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 11: Unfortunately, the Packers will be without their OT bookends for at least one more week. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, both Bakhtiari and Jenkins will miss Sunday’s opener against the Vikings. Yosuah Nijman, who started eight games at left tackle in 2021, will again get the nod in Bakhtiari’s absence.

SEPTEMBER 10: Green Bay is facing a generally positive situation on the injury front heading into their season opener against the Vikings. One notable absence is expected in the receiving corps, however.

The Packers’ final injury report lists Allen Lazard as doubtful (Twitter link via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). He has been dealing with an ankle injury, which has kept him out of practice throughout the week. Green Bay would sorely miss their new top receiver in the event of any lengthy absence.

Lazard signed his RFA tender in June, locking him into a one-year salary of just under $4MM. The timing of his contract status couldn’t have been any better, as the 26-year-old is set to take on the No. 1 spot following the departures of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason. A former UDFA, Lazard posted career highs across the board in a complementary role last season with 40 catches, 513 yards and eight touchdowns.

Assuming he misses the Minnesota game, the Packers will turn to veterans Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins at the position, along with rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers openly criticized the young pass-catchers last month as they look to prepare for significant roles right away to begin their NFL careers. Doubs in particular is slated to be a starter, and has reportedly formed a rapport with the reigning MVP, potentially setting him up for a notable workload especially if Lazard is out.

As Demovsky notes, several other key players are expected to suit up for the Packers. Among those are offensive lineman David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins. The former made it clear earlier this week that he expects to be recovered from the torn ACL which essentially cost him all of last season. The latter, meanwhile, should man the right tackle spot with Bakhtiari back, giving the Packers a formidable bookend tandem.

Tight end Robert Tonyan will also play, after he spent the offseason recovering from his own ACL tear. He, along with running back Aaron Jones, profile as significant contributors in the Packers’ passing game, especially without Lazard on the field.

David Bakhtiari Expects To Play In Week 1

September 6th, 2022 at 10:39am CST by Sam Robinson

David Bakhtiari has not played a full game since his New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear. The All-Pro Packers left tackle has undergone three knee surgeries since that setback, with a separate knee issue necessitating the third procedure. While it is taken a long time, the 10th-year pro expects to be back in Week 1 against the Vikings.

The Packers took Bakhtiari off their active/PUP list late in training camp, opening the door to a September return. Bakhtiari went through 11-on-11 drills Monday and indicated he has been doing so for “several” practices now, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes.

“I can get through the season,” Bakhtiari said. “It’s going to be fine. You have to just manage while playing. I’m just getting back in the swing of things. So, I mean, I think there’s normal rust and then new normal with three surgeries, so just kind of working that out and figuring out what my routine is.”

The 30-year-old blocker played all of 27 snaps last season — during a meaningless Week 18 game in Detroit — but was not healthy enough to suit up for Green Bay’s divisional-round game. The Packers having their highly paid tackle back in place would obviously be a tremendous boost, considering they played without both their Pro Bowl O-linemen for much of last season.

Elgton Jenkins‘ status is not known, per Demovsky, who reiterates the versatile performer is expected to be Green Bay’s right tackle this season. Once he is healthy, that is. Jenkins suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 21, 2021. It would not surprise if the Packers gave the contract-year blocker, who was a Pro Bowler while at left guard in 2020 before going down while filling in for Bakhtiari at left tackle last season, more time to recover. Jenkins might be ahead of schedule, with a stay on the reserve/PUP list once rumored. But it is uncertain if he will start in Minnesota.

This duo’s statuses were a constant talking point for the three-time reigning NFC North champions this offseason. Bakhtiari is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. His absence in the 2020 NFC championship game cost the Packers dearly, though Matt LaFleur‘s team won 13 games without him last year. Bakhtiari and Jenkins suiting up together for the first time since Week 16 of the 2020 season would end this lengthy chapter of O-line uncertainty and help the Packers as they transition to a period of pass-catcher uncertainty.

Packers Activate LT David Bakhtiari From PUP List

August 21st, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers could be closer to having their top offensive lineman back in time for the regular season. Green Bay has activated left tackle David Bakhtiari from the active/PUP list, as announced by head coach Matt LaFleur (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

The 30-year-old was placed on the list at the start of training camp last month, after it was revealed that he had undergone a third knee surgery since suffering a torn ACL on December 31, 2020. That injury has limited him to just one appearance since – a meaningless regular season contest against the Lions last year – and left the Packers with major concerns along the offensive line.

“He’s only going to do individual [drills],” LaFleur said, via Schefter’s colleague Rob Demovsky. “It’ll just be individual. It’s just the next step, but we are excited to get him out there on the grass. We’ll take it one day at a time.”

The two-time All-Pro has been a full-time starter on the blindside since his rookie season in 2013, but the recovery process from this injury has left his level of play upon his return very much in doubt. Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins filled in for Bakhtiari at left tackle last season before suffering his own ACL tear; with the 2019 second-rounder operating at right tackle in training camp, Yosh Nijman as practiced at left tackle so far.

“He’s been making really good progress, and mentally, I think he’s in a very good place as well,” LaFleur said of Bakhtiari. He didn’t add specifics on a recovery timeline, meaning that it is far from a certainty that the Packers will have their second highest-paid player by Week 1 of the regular season. Today’s news is nevertheless a significant step towards a return to the field at some point.

Packers Notes: Rodgers, Bakhtiari, Jenkins

August 10th, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers are hoping a pair of rookie wideouts will help replace the production of former receiver Davante Adams. Second-round pick Christian Watson and fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs will be expected to contribute during the 2022 campaign, and while the duo obviously doesn’t have the expertise of a veteran wideout, quarterback Aaron Rodgers understands GM Brian Gutekunst‘s decision to pivot toward youth.

“We’re still a draft-and-develop team,” Rodgers told SI.com’s Albert Breer. “I know we say that a lot; that’s most of the league, they’d like to be like that. There are less teams like the old Washington [teams] when they were trying to buy a team in free agency in many years. You’d like to draft guys and develop them and give them second contracts in-house. But there are needs and there are opportunities. I’ve always felt like adding one or two veteran guys at or around the minimum can really pay huge dividends in important spots.

“We’ve relied on young guys for much of my career. There are pros and cons to both those things. But I like Brian and his staff, and I think everybody in the building, myself included, has tried to focus on growing a little bit more and communicating a little bit more.”

Rodgers mentions a team’s need for cheap veterans, and Breer notes that the Packers are still open to adding another receiver. Once Watson returns to the practice field, Green Bay’s young duo will join Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, and Randall Cobb atop the depth chart.

More notes out of Green Bay:

With Tom Brady turning 45 last week, Rodgers was asked if he could envision himself playing in the NFL until that age. “No, I don’t,” Rodgers answered definitively (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). Rodgers is set to turn 39 in December.
During a recent podcast appearance, Rodgers admitted to using a psychedelic called ayahuasca. According to Peter King of Football Morning in America, the NFL won’t be retroactively punishing Rodgers for use of the plant, especially since he didn’t test positive for a banned substance. Both the league and the NFLPA confirmed to PFT’s Mike Florio that ayahuasca is “neither a prohibited compound under the substance-abuse policy nor a PED.” As Florio notes, there is some precedent for the NFL going after a player who admits to using “a given substance,” with the league previously attempting to put Randy Moss in a drug-test program after he admitted to smoking marijuana “every blue moon.”
Some good news on the injury front for the Packers. Gutekunst told reporters that he’s hopeful offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins will both return from their respective injuries early on during the 2022 campaign. “They are both doing really, really well. I think they both have a shot to play early in the season,” Gutekunst said (h/t to Zach Kruse of PackersWire). “They are progressing very well.” Bakhtiari tore his ACL in December of 2020, and he was active for only one January contest during the 2021 campaign. Jenkins tore his ACL during Week 11 of the 2021 season. Both offensive linemen were placed on PUP to begin training camp, and there’s probably little chance we see them during the preseason.
The Packers had in a handful of RBs for a workout earlier this week. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Dexter Williams, Kalen Ballage, Jaylen Samuels, Stevie Scott, and Calvin Turner auditioned for the team. Green Bay ended up signing Williams earlier today.

Packers LT David Bakhtiari Underwent Offseason Knee Surgery

July 27th, 2022 at 9:10am CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers continue to wait for their All-Pro left tackle to return to regular duty. They placed David Bakhtiari on the active/PUP list to start training camp, extending this lengthy delay. More potential cause for concern emerged Wednesday.

GM Brian Gutekunst indicated Bakhtiari underwent another knee surgery this offseason, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Bakhtiari, who has played in one game since suffering an ACL tear during a New Year’s Eve 2020 practice, did not participate in Green Bay’s offseason program.

This procedure — the third known surgery for Bakhtiari since that ACL tear — occurred just before Packers OTAs began, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette tweets. Bakhtiari, 30, underwent a second procedure — after the initial reconstruction, which occurred shortly after the tear — during the 2021 offseason.

When asked if Bakhtiari would be available in Week 1, Gutekunst said the team will not place a timetable on this situation. This is consistent with how Matt LaFleur has addressed the Bakhtiari issue throughout the offseason. The Packers spent most of last season without both their top offensive linemen, and Elgton Jenkins joins Bakhtiari on the active/PUP list to start camp. Players can stay on the active/PUP list until August 23, when they must be activated or begin the season on the reserve/PUP list — which requires a four-week absence.

Jenkins is a candidate to start the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, with the Packers — as Bakhtiari’s situation has shown over the past year and change — being one of the more cautious teams regarding returns from injury. These two Pro Bowl blockers have not played in a game together since Week 16 of the 2020 season.

The Packers brought Bakhtiari along slowly last year, placing him on the reserve/PUP list to start the season. But the decorated lineman being activated Nov. 10 and then not playing for more than a month brought some alarm bells. Bakhtiari played just 27 snaps last season, working his way back onto the field in the Packers’ meaningless Week 18 game against the Lions. That game action, however, left Bakhtiari unable to suit up for the Packers’ divisional-round game. Bakhtiari admitted (via Wood, on Twitter) he did not feel 100% going into that Week 18 contest.

Bakhtiari signed a four-year, $92MM extension during the 2020 season. His multiyear troubles dealing with the same injury mirror those of Ronnie Stanley, who inked his big-ticket Ravens extension just before going down with what has been a troublesome ankle malady. Both players earn top-five O-line money, and two franchises await their respective returns.

Packers Place Nine Players On PUP To Start Camp

July 23rd, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Sat, 4:07pm:

As mentioned as a possibility last night, the Packers made an addition to their PUP list today, placing star left tackle David Bakhtiari on the list after not including him in their first moves last night, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Bakhtiari missed all but one game last season as he recovered from an ACL tear that he suffered in Week 16 of the 2020 NFL season. He spent most of 2021 rehabilitating before finally making his season-debut in a Week 18 game that had no bearing on the team’s playoff positioning. He was inactive for Green Bay’s playoff loss to San Francisco.

Reiterating what was said yesterday, there is no need for Packers fans to fret quite yet. This is a natural process for NFL teams, especially concerning players returning from a major injury. As long as Bakhtiari comes off the PUP list in the preseason, he should have no restrictions going into regular season play.

Fri, 9:52pm:

As many teams are making necessary adjustments to their injury lists, the Packers joined in today, adding twelve players overall, nine to the physically unable to perform list and three to the non-football injury list, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

The biggest surprise on the list was rookie second-round pick Christian Watson. An injury has not been disclosed for the wide receiver, who recently signed his rookie contract. Similarly, undrafted rookie defensive tackle Hauati Pututau was placed on the list for an undisclosed reason.

Four players placed on the PUP list were expected, as they are returning from major injuries. Tight end Robert Tonyan missed half of last season after tearing his ACL in late-October. The same game saw then-rookie running back Kylin Hill suffer a season-ending knee injury. Shortly after, tackle Elgton Jenkins tore his ACL, as well, ending his season after only eight starts. Linebacker Randy Ramsey also suffered an season-ending injury before the season even began after serving in 2020 as a core special teamer.

The three remaining players, kicker Mason Crosby, defensive lineman Dean Lowry, and running back Patrick Taylor, were all placed on the list with no information as to what has put them there.

That’s five expected starters, Watson, Tonyan, Jenkins, Lowry, and Crosby, on the PUP. Packers’ fans will be relieved not to see left tackle David Bakhtiari placed on the PUP list a year after missing all but one game last year recovering from an ACL tear suffered in late-2020.

There could always be additions to the list, as it isn’t official until Tuesday. Additionally, a player can come off of the list anytime during the preseason and can’t be on the list once they’ve practiced with the team. Any players still on the PUP list at the start of the regular season will be required to sit out a minimum of six games, but they won’t count against the roster as the team trims to 53 players.

While the number of players on the list may be alarming, there’s little to worry about as of right now for these Packers. As long as they come off of the list before the season starts, there will be no league-restrictions on their participation.

Latest On Packers OL David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins

June 19th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers face significant questions along their offensive line, not as a result of personnel or performance, but due to injuries. Both David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins continue to recover from ACL tears, which will remain an important storyline into the summer.

Bakhtiari suffered the injury in practice last December, which dealt a significant blow to the team’s playoff run. There was optimism that he would be able to return to full health at some point in the 2021 campaign, but things didn’t go according to plan. He wasn’t activated until November, and only saw the field in Week 18. He was deactivated the following week, meaning he missed a second straight postseason.

That has, understandably, left the Packers cautious in their handling of the 30-year-old. The team made it clear recently that Bakhtiari wouldn’t participate in OTAs or minicamp, aiming instead for a return to action by training camp in late July.

“Time will tell,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, regarding the two-time All-Pro’s summertime availability. “We fully anticipate him being ready to go, but we did last year, as well… But we feel good about the work that he’s put in and where he’s at.”

Assuming Bakhtiari is able to regain his left tackle spot, that would leave Jenkins in need of a new position for 2022. He filled in at the blindside before suffering his own torn ACL in November, which leaves his Week 1 availability in doubt. Whenever he is able to return, the Pro Bowler could return to left guard, where he began his career. However, as Demovsky notes, Jenkins could move to right tackle as a replacement for Billy Turner.

With their top two o-linemen on the way to full health, the unit is in line to perform at a higher level in 2022 than it did last year. While it remains to be seen, of course, if Bakhtiari and Jenkins will regain their high-end form upon return, there is cause for optimism for two of the team’s most important offensive contributors.

OL Notes: Browns, Bakhtiari, Pats, Bears

June 1st, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Browns signed the Seahawks’ primary center of the past two years (Ethan Pocic), they are first attempting to see if one of their recent backups can claim J.C. Tretter‘s old job. Nick Harris is working as Cleveland’s first-string center during OTAs, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal notes. A fifth-round pick out of Washington in 2020, Harris made one start in each of the past two seasons — the late-2021 outing came when Tretter contracted COVID-19 — but he practiced extensively with the Browns’ first-unit O-line last season. Tretter dealt with injuries, and while the veteran played through them, he often sat out practices or worked in a limited capacity. This gave Harris a runway to full-fledged starter action and gave the Browns enough confidence to make Tretter a March cap casualty. The NFLPA president remains a free agent.

Ditching Tretter, 30, remains a gamble for the Browns, who still hold the NFL’s most cap space. Tretter graded as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best center in 2021, started all but one game in five Cleveland seasons and provided a solid pivot on one of the league’s best lines. Here is the latest from the O-line scene:

The ACL tear David Bakhtiari suffered on New Year’s Eve 2020 wrecked his 2021 season, limiting him to just one game (Week 18). The Packers are proceeding cautiously with their two-time All-Pro left tackle this offseason. Matt LaFleur confirmed the team is holding Bakhtiari out of OTAs, via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter), for conservation purposes. The expectation is the 10th-year veteran returns for training camp. Still, the lengthy recovery Bakhtiari required from his injury makes his status worth monitoring ahead of an age-31 season.
New England picked up Isaiah Wynn‘s fifth-year option in 2021, guaranteeing the injury-prone left tackle $10.4MM this season. But he has missed OTA time, leaving recently re-signed right tackle Trent Brown — the left tackle on the Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl-winning team — to fill in on the left side. The Pats have made a few trades involving contract-year talent under Bill Belichick — Sony Michel, Brandin Cooks and Jamie Collins being recent examples. If New England was to dangle Wynn, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes teams would be willing to fork over a reasonable return (subscription required). That might be a bridge too far, considering the Pats already traded a veteran blocker (Shaq Mason) and saw Brown’s run of absences continue with eight more last season.
The Bears have 2021 second-rounder Teven Jenkins pegged as their right tackle starter. Jenkins returned from preseason back surgery to start two games as a rookie, but he was close to 350 pounds last year. The Chicago blocker is back near his listed 320-pound weight, with Adam Jahns of The Athletic noting Jenkins is checking in around 325. Larry Borom is penciled in to take over for Jason Peters at left tackle.

Packers Rework OL David Bakhtiari’s Contract

February 26th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Ben Levine

The Packers continue to open up some cap space. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the team has reworked left tackle David Bakhtiari‘s contract.

Specifically, the organization converted $11.58MM of Bakhtiari‘s 2022 compensation into a signing bonus. This move created “significant cap space” for the summer. In 2020, the Packers inked Bakhtiari to a four-year, $105.5MM extension that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.

It didn’t take long for the 2013 fourth-round pick to emerge into a starter, as the rookie lineman started 16 games at left tackle that season. The lineman has continually improved, culminating in him earning five-straight All-Pro nods (including a pair of first-team honors) between 2016 and 2020.

The veteran tore his ACL toward the end of the 2020 campaign, and he only managed to see the field for one contest during the 2021 season. Still, today’s transaction is consistent with GM Brian Gutekunst‘s recent remarks regarding his expectations for a clean bill of health for Bakhtiari in 2022 (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

In a January interview with CheeseheadTV.com, which is well-worth a read for Packers fans, Bakhtiari himself detailed his struggles to return to the field in 2021, including the second surgery he underwent in November and the troubling fluid buildups in his knee. Like Gutekunst, though, Bakhtiari does not anticipate any health issues going forward, and he says his knee is structurally sound.

The Packers front office has been busy this week. The team also reworked the contracts of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

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