Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins is making good headway in his recovery from a significant knee injury. According to general manager Brian Gutekunst, Jenkins is “ahead of schedule.”
“Elgton is doing great,” said Gutekunst on Wednesday. “We’re excited. We’d like to get him back out there, hopefully, that will be soon. He’s certainly ahead of schedule.”
Jenkins tore his ACL in Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings. He began the season as the starting left tackle in place of David Bakhtiari, who was still recovering from a knee injury. Jenkins started eight games in 2021, allowing two sacks, 12 pressures, and had a pass-blocking efficiency of 97.5, per Pro Football Focus.
Since his selection in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft, Jenkins has been a revelation for the Packers’ offensive line, proving he can line up at all five positions. Jenkins is considered one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the NFL and, in 2020, was named to his first Pro Bowl.
“When Elgton gets out there, he’s a unique guy,” Gutekunst stated. “Can line up at five spots, so once we get him out there and kind of get down the road a little bit to see where Dave (Bakhtiari) is at, we’ll start looking at where we can lineup.”
As Gutekunst mentioned, Bakhtiari underwent another procedure on his injured knee this offseason but is “cautiously optimistic” about his recovery. If Bakhtiari does miss an extended period of time, getting Jenkins back would alleviate some concerns upfront.