Of all the questions surrounding the Green Bay Packers this season, one that has gone relatively under the radar has been the sustained health of David Bakhtiari. The three-time Pro Bowl left tackle returned last season from a torn ACL on New Year’s Even 2020 that kept him out for all but one game in 2021.
The injury required more than one surgery, and Bakhtiari missed the beginning of the 2022 regular season as he continued to rehab from the injury. He was able to return, though, played in 11 games, and did not allow a single sack.
The hope, of course, is that Bakhtiari will be able to play the whole regular season. The question, though, is whether or not his healed knee will be strong enough. Bakhtiari thinks it will, and he explained to Peter King on NBC Sports why this season will be “night and day” compared to last season.
Green Bay Packers Left Tackle David Bakhtiari Feels Good Going into 2023
Packers16 63 Hoffman
Below is a portion of the conversation Bakhtiari had with Peter King:
Bakhtiari: This year is definitely night and day compared to last year.
King: How so?
Bakhtiari: I was just trying not to drown, is the best way to put it. A lot of times, I felt like I was going into games with like one hand stapped behind my back.
King: You just never really felt right?
Bakhtiari: That and then having so many compounded surgeries right before the season. I always look at the offseason as the ability to put on armor. You know, build up strength to endure the season. I never even got those opportunities. From when I tore my knee on New Year’s Eve 2020, I was always showing up at the start of the season transitioning straight from physical therapy to football.
For the first time in two years, Bakhtiari was able to workout in the offseason without worrying about building up strength in his knee. That will allow him to come into the 2023 NFL season with no concerns over whether or not that injured knee is ready.
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