The 30-year-old was placed on the list at the start of training camp last month, after it was revealed that he had undergone a third knee surgery since suffering a torn ACL on December 31, 2020. That injury has limited him to just one appearance since – a regular season contest against the Lions last year – and left the Packers with major concerns along the offensive line.
“He’s only going to do individual [drills],” LaFleur said, via Schefter’s colleague Rob Demovsky. “It’ll just be individual. It’s just the next step, but we are excited to get him out there on the grass. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
The two-time All-Pro has been a full-time starter on the blindside since his rookie season in 2013, but the recovery process from this injury has left his level of play upon his return very much in doubt. Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins filled in for Bakhtiari at left tackle last season before suffering his own ACL tear; with the 2019 second-rounder operating at right tackle in training camp, Yosh Nijman as practiced at left tackle so far.
“He’s been making really good progress, and mentally, I think he’s in a very good place as well,” LaFleur said of Bakhtiari. He didn’t add specifics on a recovery timeline, meaning that it is far from a certainty that the Packers will have their second highest-paid player by Week 1 of the regular season. Today’s news is nevertheless a significant step towards a return to the field at some point.
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