Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur believes left tackle David Bakhtiari is a “long shot” to play on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
Bakhtiari had an emergency appendectomy in the days before the Packers’ Week 13 win over the Chicago Bears, and he may need more time off the field to be fully recovered from the operation.
“We’ll see how he progresses throughout the course of the week,” LaFleur said Thursday. “He’s a guy who doesn’t need a lot of time on the field to go out there and play. If he’s capable of doing that…it’s probably a long shot, but we’ll see.”
LaFleur said he believes this is the first time he’s had a player deal with an appendectomy during the season, so he’s unsure of Bakhtiari’s recovery timetable.
Rookie Zach Tom started at left tackle in place of Bakhtiari against the Bears and would be expected to start there again if the five-time All-Pro can’t go on Monday night against the Rams.
Bakhtiari, now 31, has started nine games this season. He’s played 481 snaps, allowed eight total pressures (all hurries) and committed four penalties.
Before the appendectomy, Bakhtiari had played five consecutive games. He made his season debut in Week 3 after a long recovery from multiple knee injuries.
The Packers will release the first injury report of Week 15 on Thursday. The final injury report arrives Saturday.
