Packers: David Bakhtiari returns to practice

October 20, 2021
|In Packers
|By Zach Heilprin

The player many consider the best left tackle in football was back on the practice field for the Green Bay Packers Wednesday.

David Bakhtiari, nearly 10 months removed from tearing an ACL in practice, jogged on to the field for the first time since the injury and took part in drills with the rest of the team.

“It was good to hear him. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut today, which I guess is kind of normal,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers joked. “But it was good to have him out there and in a helmet.”

Bakhtiari was injured during a practice on New Year’s Eve. It proved to be a huge hit the team’s Super Bowl chances, as Rodgers was under duress in the NFC title game throughout. The Packers have more than managed his absence with Elgton Jenkins starting three games and Yosh Nijman starting the other three.

The 30-year-old is quite the character off the field, with Rodgers saying he can be hard to handle for coach Matt LaFleur and offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, while also terrorizing some of the young offensive linemen. So, it is not a surprise that Rodgers is eager for Bakhtiari to be ready to play for several reasons and they are not all related to his play on the field.

“It’s good having him back. He’s a stud. He’s a future Hall of Famer,” Rodgers said. “He has a different focus, I think, when it comes to him being on the field and a different comfort for myself and really, I think everybody else in the coaching staff and the offensive line included, so it’ll be nice to get him back whenever that is. Until then, we’ll have to hear him yakking a bunch. Because once game week happens, and he’s actually playing, he simmers down a little bit, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

Injury update

Green Bay’s injury report on Wednesday was smaller than at this time last week. Seven of the 10 guys listed on last Wednesday’s report were not listed on this week’s. The only ones remaining were tackle Dennis Kelly (back), cornerback Kevin King (shoulder) and center Josh Myers (knee). Kelly and Myers did not practice Wednesday, while King was limited.

There were some new names on the report, though. Linebacker Preston Smith (oblique) and safety Darnell Savage (concussion) were additions and did not practice. Wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (shoulder) was also listed but was a full participant.