Packers 2022 roster preview: Concern about David Bakhtiari’s injury?
Should there be any concern about the status of Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari?
Bakhtiari is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered late in the 2020 season. He did return for one game last season but then didn’t play again the rest of the way.
Bakhtiari has been held out of the offseason program as he continues his recovery, a decision head coach Matt LaFleur said was the “plan all along”.
That’s fine. More concerning is that LaFleur followed it up by saying Bakhtiari will “hopefully be ready to go for training camp”.
The choice of words there could mean nothing. Maybe there is more to it, though. To say “hopefully” and not that they “expect him back” is something to note.
2021 stats
Bakhtiari made his long-awaited return to action in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions. A chance to get some much-needed reps before the playoffs.
However, Bakhtiari left the game early and wouldn’t play again for the remainder of the season.
2021 season review
It was a frustrating year for the Packers’ All-Pro left tackle, who had to wait the entire regular season to finally get back on the field. And when he did return, it was only for a small portion of the game and then he wasn’t able to feature in the playoffs.
The Packers badly missed Bakhtiari in the postseason.
Will he make the roster?
Yes. If Bakhtiari is fully healthy and ready to go, he will be back in the Packers’ starting lineup.
What to expect in 2022
The expectation for a while has been for Bakhtiari to return to action in 2022. That’s certainly the hope.
But there’s no doubt that LaFleur’s comments have led to some concern among the fan base. Maybe there is no reason to panic and Bakhtiari will be practicing in full by the time training camp rolls around.
As Zach Kruse of Packers Wire noted, Bakhtiari’s status will be the top storyline at camp, and not the wide receivers.
David Bakhtiari's status will be the No. 1 storyline entering training camp. Wide receivers a distant second.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) May 31, 2022
Absolutely right. If Bakhtiari is still not ready to return by Week 1, the Packers could be thin at tackle until Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins returns.
It’s still early in the summer. Hopefully Bakhtiari will be ready to go by training camp. It will be something to watch closely.