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.
Been saying for awhile now. He’s done.
Packers need to sign Eric Fisher and when Jenkins comes back they can have Jenkins play LT and Fisher at right. Love Bak, but he’s cooked.
Not sure what’s so difficult about updating the fans that David had another setback. Hippa restricts what they can say, but they can surely report generalities about what is ailing him – pain during side movements/loss of mobility…
If they’re seriously in doubt about him coming back, cut him loose and move on. Clearly they think he’s got a chance to return and the guaranteed money is what keeps this dragging out until they figure this isn’t going anywhere.
Perhaps because in addition to any doctor/patient/franchise privileges, there’s zero requirement for any of them to keep fans informed. Kinda like how they’re not required to inform fans of contract negotiations, nor is it necessary for fans to be informed.
Agreed, but we’re talking about one of the (and maybe still is) highest paid lineman in the NFL, who already missed an entire season, and now sounds as though he may miss another. It puts into question who signed off on the extension and why, and how the management team can try to do better in the future. Just seems like a conversation you shouldn’t avoid…
The extension was done before the injury, so that’s a moot point. I’m sure everyone agrees in hindsight it’s a bad deal, but unfortunately management didn’t have a crystal ball to see an injury coming.
And the amount of pay still has no bearing on the team disclosing medical information. Bottom line, the only person who can or should share such information is Bahktiari himself. It appears he chose not to.
The weird part about this is that they restructured his contract this year and pushed more guaranteed money into next year knowing this information. Now they are stuck with a huge dead cap hit if they do release him going into next season and little cap savings…
Did they know prior to the restructure? It doesn’t specify the timing of they contract or the procedure.
Also, they moved a ton of money from other guys as well. Maybe with the belief that the cap will be much higher, as was talked about when they (and other teams) were making those changes.
Big contract. Money well spent.