Green Bay Packers

The David Bakhtiari Urgency Is Mounting

Photo Credit: William Glasheen (USA TODAY Sports)

The Green Bay Packers knew they’d be starting the year without All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari after he ended up on the physically unable to perform list. There was initial worry about how the line would shake out, but everything worked well early on with two rookies amongst the five starters.

Now Green Bay needs Bakhtiari to return sooner rather than later, with some weak spots starting to get exposed more.

The Packers have been pushed to the brink when it comes to mixing and matching on their offensive line this year. Bakhtiari being out is one thing, but losing Elgton Jenkins for three weeks seemed like it would be too much for the offensive line to sustain. They did just fine. Then rookie center Josh Myers suffered a leg injury in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears and landed on injured reserve. They kept things afloat. But there is now more emphasis on Bakhtiari’s return after Royce Newman‘s struggles on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Newman struggled mightily against Kansas City. He wasn’t the only one, although his struggles seemed to be the most repetitive.

In just one example where Jordan Love was able to miraculously get the ball out and not take a sack, Newman blocked absolutely nobody, allowing immediate pressure right in the face of the second-year quarterback.

It wasn’t the only instance of this happening.

My intent isn’t to pile onto Newman. He’s only a rookie. If not for the injuries on the offensive line, he likely wouldn’t have been thrust into the starting lineup. However, it has become clear that he might not be ready to continue in that role for now. It’s shining a brighter light on Bakhtiari’s return.

Using the word “return” might be a bit unclear. Bakhtiari has to be activated and put on the 53-man roster by today, or else he won’t be eligible to come back this year. Green Bay can put him on the roster, which seems to be a foregone conclusion, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be good to go against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Returning to the active roster is a necessity, as Green Bay plans on having No. 69 back at some point during the season, but it may well not be this Sunday.

When asked Monday if he saw a scenario in which the Packers let the deadline pass without activating Bakhtiari, head coach Matt LaFleur said, “I doubt that.” 

It was just a week ago that, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur laid out the exact process that was going on with Bakhtiari and why it isn’t as easy as snapping a finger and putting him back out onto the field.

“A lot of it comes down to just, collectively, with David being part of that group, our medical staff, obviously [general manager Brian Gutekunst] and all of us kind of getting together to make the best determination of where he is and if he’s ready to go or not,” LaFleur said. “I think everything is up in the air with him in terms of — I said a long time ago it’ll be day to day — but the last thing we want to do is, again, put him at further risk. He’s coming off a really significant injury. He looks great. He’s worked his tail off. He’s put a lot of hours in. We just want to make sure the timing’s right.”

Winning cures a lot. For the Packers, the offensive line hasn’t been atrocious. They’ve been pretty damn good this year. The minor problems like missed protections and penalties up front have started to pile up a bit more. When you lose a game like Green Bay did against the Chiefs, the whiff by Jenkins and the holding and false-start calls against Newman get put under the microscope more. Still, they can’t rush Bakhtiari back.

Aaron Rodgers‘ return will help. It’s not a knock against Love, but Rodgers is a maestro at adjusting protection at the line of scrimmage. The domino effect was real this past Sunday, and it’s hard to imagine it playing out the same way had Rodgers been under center. The return of No. 12 (assuming he’s back against the Seahawks) takes a ton of pressure off the offensive line.

So how will Bakhtiari change the offensive line? For one, he will be cemented back at left tackle. After that, the Packers can maneuver the pieces on the chessboard in various ways, with Jenkins being the critical piece on the board.

Green Bay could keep Jon Runyan at left guard or put Jenkins there. At center, they can continue to roll with Lucas Patrick until Myers gets back or put Jenkins at center and kick Patrick to right guard. Billy Turner has solidified himself at right tackle. It’s the three spots sandwiched in between that will need shuffling. The possibilities seem endless for LaFleur, and that isn’t a bad thing.

Rodgers’ return will help, but Green Bay will need Bakhtiari back eventually if they want to make their mark again as a dominant group up front.

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