The ACL injury sustained by Packers All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari late during the 2020–21 season continues to impact his availability entering the 2022 season. As the team looks to keep its Aaron Rodgers-fueled Super Bowl window open, having one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen is essential.
In November ’20, Bakhtiari signed a four-year, $105.5 million deal that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in league history. Just weeks later, ahead of the team’s playoff push, he tore his ACL in practice, costing him the rest of that year and most of ’21. Bakhtiari made a brief return in Week 18 of the 2021–22 season. He played in 27 snaps and was shut down for the playoffs after feeling discomfort following the game.
As training camp opens, Bakhtiari finds himself on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and the team is making no promises about his availability for Week 1 of the season when the team is on the road at the Vikings.
“We’re not going to put a timetable on it,” general manager Brian Gutekunst told the media on Wednesday, adding that the team is “cautiously optimistic” that he’ll be ready for that Week 1 game.
Gutekunst also revealed that Bakhtiari had an additional procedure on his knee during the offseason, calling the 2020 injury “much more than an ACL,” per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
A 2013 fourth-round pick out of Colorado, Bakhtiari quickly developed into one of the NFL’s top protectors, being named a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2016. He’s gone on to five total All-Pro nods (first-team in ’18, ’20).
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