One week after returning to start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari has no injury designation on the final injury report of Week 4.
Bakhtiari was labeled as questionable last week but started and played 35 snaps, rotating in and out with backup Yosh Nijman. After practicing on Wednesday and Friday of this week, Bakhtiari was removed from the injury report ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the New England Patriots.
The development can be seen as another step forward for the five-time All-Pro left tackle in his long road to recovery from a knee injury originally suffered on Dec. 31, 2020.
Despite the lack of an injury designation, it’s unclear if Bakhtiari will play a full game on Sunday against the Patriots. In Tampa Bay, rotating with Nijman gave Bakhtiari an opportunity to get through an entire game without putting the physical stress of being on the field for every play in a hot environment and on a foreign playing surface. On Sunday, Bakhtiari and the Packers will be back in Green Bay in comfortable playing conditions on a pristine field.
Nijman’s development and value at left tackle might tempt the Packers to continue using the rotation until the team knows Bakhtiari is back to 100 percent.
The veteran needed three different surgeries on his injured knee and played just one game between the end of the 2020 season and Week 2 of this year.
With Bakhtiari back and improving, the goal is now to manage his workload and ensure he’s healthy for the long haul.
The Packers also removed Elgton Jenkins from the injury report, meaning Bakhtiari and Jenkins will start at offensive tackle for the second straight week. The two, once comfortable and resettled at their respective positions, could give the Packers one of the best tackle combos in football in 2022.
Over 35 snaps in Tampa Bay, Bakhtiari allowed just one pressure. Coach Matt LaFleur complimented his ability to recover from almost getting beat and give Aaron Rodgers a chance to escape the pocket and get rid of the ball.