Ahead of the first day of training camp, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst provided some insight into the recoveries of two key pieces of the team. Mystery has been surrounding David Bakhtiari’s time line and while Elgton Jenkins hasn’t had as much attention, there hasn’t been much said. With regular press conferences happening again, Gutekunst gave an update on Bakhtiari and Jenkins.
David Bakhtiari
After a brief period of optimism, Bakhtiari landed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. After 18 months of recovery, Bakhtiari has still not been cleared. Apparently, Bakhtiari had a set back and needed a follow up procedure on the knee. Gutekunst said it was more than an ACL and they are being cautiously optimistic. The Packers will continue to be overly cautious with their star LT but questions are swirling whether we will ever see Bakhtiari back on the field. A reporter asked Gutekunst whether he was worried Bakhtiari would ever play again and the answer was a resounding “no”. The Packers continue to play to waiting game with Bakhtiari.
Elgton Jenkins
Elgton Jenkins is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from an ACL injury, per Brian Gutekunst.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) July 27, 2022
While the news of Bakhtiari was not great, the news on Jenkins was much more positive. Jenkins is ahead of schedule on his ACL recovery. This is the news that Packers fans were hoping to hear. Jenkins is a special player that can play anywhere on the offensive line. Getting him back in the line up would soften the blow of the Bakhtiari injury. It’s unclear where Jenkins will play on the line when he comes back with Gutekunst saying it will depend on where Bakhtiari is in recovery.
Other Packers Injuries
Gutekunst also provided a couple of updates on other injured players. Sammy Watkins landed on the injury list but Gutekunst said it was a short term thing and expects to see him back on the field soon. Rookie WR Christian Watson will spend some more significant time out but is not expected to miss any games this season. The only thing Watson will be missing is reps with Rodgers and the first team. While I have full confidence in his ability to assimilate into the offense, he could lose reps to other rookies and young receivers in the short term.
While the Bakhtiari news is not what Packers fans want to hear, there are positives happening as well. Getting Jenkins back would be huge. The hope is that Bakhtiari will be ready for Week 1 or even a midseason start. If the Packers are going to make a Super Bowl run, they definitely need both of these players to be healthy. It was great to see an official update on Bakhtiari and Jenkins from Gutekunst.
