After many months of waiting, Packers fans have finally gotten some good news about a key player. A key player is coming off the PUP list on Sunday for the Packers. That player is star left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Bakhtiari Back At Practice
Similar to Elgton Jenkins, Christian Watson and Robert Tonyan, Bakhtiari will be eased into practice. He will participate in individual drills at practice. While this may not seem like a lot, it is great news for the Packers. Getting back from a serious knee injury is a long process and Bakhtiari’s injury seems even worse than what we originally thought. Having injured his knee in the 2020 season, it was concerning that he was not a full participant at this point. The Packers will continue to be cautious and monitor his injury. It is great to see another key player come off the PUP list for the Packers.
When Will He Play?
This is the million dollar question. While coming off the PUP list in training camp does allow him to play in week 1, I highly doubt this will happen. Everything that LaFleur has said in press conferences seems like they will be very cautious with Bakhtiari’s return. Also, while the offensive line definitely could use Bakhtiari, it isn’t a total mess and could hold down the fort for a couple of weeks. However, don’t discount the impact of key players coming off the PUP list can have on the team.
What Getting Key Players Off the PUP list Means For the Packers Line
Imagine a line where Bakhtiari is at left tackle, Yosh Nijman moves to right tackle and Elgton Jenkins can move to his preferred guard position. Throw in Josh Myers and Jon Runyan Jr. and this line is starting to look scary. While the line will be just find without him, they are elite with him. This shows the impact that one person coming back can have on the line as a whole. Zach Tom can get more time to develop. The Packers might be able to cut a couple of offensive lineman that have not performed and add depth at other positions. Getting key players off the PUP list and back on the field is going to be key for the Packers season.
This is a step in the right direction for Bakhtiari. There is cautious optimism with this move but at least now we will get to see him on the practice field. Hopefully more key players (looking at you Mason Crosby) come off the PUP list for the Packers soon.
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