The Green Bay Packers took a step in the direction on Sunday by announcing that left tackled David Bakhtiari has been activated off of the PUP list.
While it’s certainly a positive update, head coach Matt LaFleur revealed that the team will be taking it slow as the two-time All Pro works his way back.
Packers’ OT David Bakhtiari is being removed from the PUP list today, per HC Matt LaFleur.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 21, 2022
“Dave’s coming off PUP today. He’ll be out there in practice,” LaFleur told reporters Sunday. “He’s only going to do individual [drills], so you guys can just temper the expectations because I know there is going to be a bunch of questions, now.”
Bakhtiari tore his ACL on New Year’s Eve in 2020. He missed the entirety of the Packers’ 2021 season outside of the first half of the team’s season finale.
Arguably the best left tackle in football before his injury, Bakhtiari’s road to recovery has had a few speed bumps along the way.
Bak at practice 👏 #GoPackGo | #PackersCamp pic.twitter.com/30bd1BwaNe
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 21, 2022
Bakhtiari tore his ACL on New Year’s Eve in 2020. He missed the entirety of the Packers’ 2021 season outside of the first half of the team’s season finale. Arguably the best left tackle in football before his injury, Bakhtiari’s road to recovery has had a few speed bumps along the way.
Since the original injury, Bakhtiari has had three surgical procedures on his knee, including one just before the offseason workout program kicked off in the spring.
Bakhtiari’s activation implies a return to game action within the first seven weeks of the regular season. The NFL’s PUP policy states that a player can return after Week 4 while having a 21-day window to be cleared for game day.
However, LaFleur isn’t skipping any steps in Bakhtiari’s process. “There’s no thought as far as Week 1 right now,” said LaFleur. “It’s more just we want to see how he responds, and he’s ready when he’s ready.” Time will tell whether or not Bakhtiari can return to his Pro Bowl level Packers fans have been accustomed to through his nine seasons in Green Bay.
While his return may not be immediate, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for one of the franchise’s cornerstones.
