All eyes have been on David Bakhtiari this season. His status has been closely watched by all Packers fans as many wonder when he will play. There has been significant progress and Bakhtiari has returned to practice. However, today the Packers star lineman hit another practice milestone.
Bakhtiari’s Return to Team Drills
Matt LaFleur said the hope is LT David Bakhtiari will take team reps in practice today.
Doesn't sound like RT Elgton Jenkins will.
As for WR Allen Lazard, who did not practice last week for reasons unknown, LaFleur said he's improving and "we'll see as the week progresses."
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) September 5, 2022
Bakhtiari has participated in individual drills but has not done any team related activities. This looks to end today. David Bakhtiari will be on the field for team reps today in practice. This is another important step in returning to the playing field in the regular season. What this also means is that Bakhtiari has not suffered any setbacks and the medical staff feels comfortable letting him participate. It is great to see the Packers star hit another practice milestone.
Could He Play Week 1?
This seems unlikely but honestly who knows? Bakhtiari is not a rookie like Christian Watson who needs to be acclimated to the whole system. He knows the system and has good rapport with his teammates. Getting him game ready will not be as much as a process. If he looks good in team drills and the knee feels good, there could be a chance that he plays week 1. What is more likely is him missing a couple of weeks and then comes back after more rest. Regardless the Packers star hitting a practice milestone is a positive.
Other Packers Updates
While this news was exciting to see, there is some concern for other injured Packers. Elgton Jenkins will not participate in team drills making it unlikely we will see him week 1. Allen Lazard has been missing practice for unknown reasons but LaFleur stated he is improving. It will be something to watch during the week. Going into week 1 with so many questions is not ideal of the Packers but the team has battle absences before and done just fine.
The first quarter of the season might have the Packers being a little short handed. However, if later in the season they get key players back, that will be a huge boost. For now, we celebrate the news of Packers star David Bakhtiari hitting another practice milestone.
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