There hasn’t been much good news to report on David Bakhtiari since he tore the ACL in his left knee on Dec. 31, 2020, but hopefully, that’s about to change – nearly 21 months after he suffered the devastating injury in practice. Coach Matt LaFleur announced this morning that the perennial All-Pro left tackle had been activated off the physically unable to perform list.
By activating Bakhtiari, the Packers are making it clear they expect the 30-year-old to be able to play early in the regular season. Otherwise, they would’ve kept him on PUP through at least Week 4 and saved a spot on the initial 53-man roster. So while this move is undeniably encouraging, recent history suggests it’s still too soon to get excited. Remember, Bakhtiari was also activated off PUP last October but wound up playing only 27 snaps in the final nine games.
If – and it’s a very big if – Bakhtiari can get through individual drills this week and then team drills later in the month, there’s certainly a chance he could be in the starting lineup when the Packers open the regular season in Minnesota on September 11. And with Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins being activated off PUP last week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers could soon have his two star offensive linemen together in the lineup for the first time since Week 16 of the 2020 season. That would be a heck of an improvement from the last time the offense took the field with Billy Turner and Dennis Kelly at tackle.
With Bakhtiari and Jenkins both active but neither a lock to be ready for the opener, the coaches will need to be very adaptable in the coming days and weeks. There are at least five potential starting O-lines that could take the field in the Metrodome three weeks from today – (from l to r) Bakhtiari, Jon Runyan, Josh Myers, Royce Newman/Jake Hanson, and Jenkins; or Bakhtiari, Runyan, Myers, Hanson, and Newman; or Yosh Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Newman/Hanson, and Jenkins; or Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Hanson, and Newman; or even Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Newman, and Zach Tom.
The status of Bakhtiari and Jenkins for Week 1 will also affect which offensive linemen make the final roster. Assuming neither has a setback, they’ll be joined on the initial 53 by Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Newman, and rookies Tom and Sean Rhyan. Eight is usually enough, but because of the tenuousness of the two returning stars, a ninth player would almost certainly be kept (most likely Hanson). That could mean having to release undrafted rookie Caleb Jones and/or former Wisconsin star and Green Bay native Cole Van Lanen, a couple of youngers who’ve been impressive throughout training camp.
Of course, worrying about Jones and Van Lanen is the last thing on anybody’s mind on a day when Bakhtiari joined Jenkins on the active roster. Instead, it’s a time to smile for everyone except opposing pass rushers on the Packers’ schedule.
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Really good point about playing SF with Turner and Kelly. There’s no doubt in my mind the Packers win by double digits with Bakhtiari and Jenkins and by at least a TD with one of the two. One could argue that Bakhtiari’s injury cost the Packers two trips to the Super Bowl.
I could be misunderstanding this, but it looks like Hanson is in 4 of your possible 5 starting lineups but isn’t accounted for in your final 8. Gute could potentially have some tough decisions there.
Yes, Hanson is technically in 4 of the 5 scenarios, but in 2 of those I would expect Newman to start over him at RG. I do think Hanson will stick on the 53, but he’s not as certain as the other 8 players.