David Bakhtiari injury: When will Packers' All-Pro O-linesman return? NFL insider provides update
Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari is moving ever closer to a return. The 30-year-old has not been sighted since he tore his ACL at practice, just three days before the end of last season, before the Packers embarked on a playoff run.
It will be 10 months since the injury, and Bakhtiari is expected to try and practice at some stage this week; but it is unclear just when his return will be.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Glazer, an analyst and insider for Fox, was asked about a potential return date for the future Hall of Fame tackle.
“He's started working out. But they are taking him along slowly," Glazer said. "I gotta be honest with you when I'm talking to my guys in the Packers, I love David but next time I call I gotta be like, I gotta ask about David Bakhtiari."
"When I did ask that after the show two weeks ago, I kind of got the answer," Glazer added. "It could be one week, it could be three weeks. We just want to make sure he's healthy and strong so I kinda got that."
Packers OL coach Adam Stenavich said David Bakhtiari is "still working through stuff" in his return from ACL surgery but has "the same mentality everyday."
"It's going to be a grind for him, and I think he's realizing that."
So there is no definitive timeline for Bakhtiari's return as of yet, and with how the Packers are playing, there is no need to rush him back.
The left tackle started the NFL season on the physically unable to perform list and has been there for six weeks. However, this week is the earliest possible date that he can return to practice on. When he does, the Packers will have a three-week window to activate him off the PUP list.
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Packers head coach Matt LaFleur stated today that he was hopeful that the 30-year-old tackle would make his appearance of the season but that his return is a “day-by-day process.”
It remains unclear if Bakhtiari will be playing on Sunday but it looks unlikely as he only returned to practice last week. Having been out of action for so long, there is bound to be some rust.
It makes sense for the Packers to take a slow approach with their star left tackle. The team is currently the number one seed in the NFC with an 8-2 record and seemingly has everything going right at this stage of the season. Rushing Bakhtiari back would be illogical.
Meanwhile, up next for Rodgers and the Packers is a divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.