Aaron Rodgers is back on the field with the Green Bay Packers but left tackle David Bakhtiari is not and his impending return deserves our full attention.
So much has happened with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, most notably the Aaron Rodgers saga and the semi-related Davante Adams contract situation, that fans and analysts alike often overlook another key element of the offense: left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Bakhtiari has been one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL over the past few years but, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL in Week 17 that kept him off the field for Green Bay’s playoff run to the NFC Championship Game. Naturally, he has spent the offseason rehabbing and recovering to get back on the field for the 2021 season.
However, the left tackle started Packers training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and remains there. More pressingly, the organization is not sure when Bakhtiari will be able to get back onto the field with a clean bill of health.
Zach Kruse of Packers Wire noted that Green Bay is proceeding as if Bakhtiari won’t be ready for the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Saints as head coach Matt LaFleur said “that’s the way you have to prepare” given the still-uncertain timetable for Bakhtiari’s return to the field.
And all of this feels like something that everyone should be paying more attention to.
David Bakhtiari getting back on the field and healthy should be considered a critical component for the Green Bay Packers’ success.
To frame just how good Bakhtiari has been for the Packers, he graded out as the second-best tackle in the NFL last season according to PFF (subscription required). That was also the third time in four seasons he’s graded out as No. 2 at the position. On top of that, he’s been top-six four times in the last five years and has never been lower than 14th over that span.
As noted by Kruse, All-Pro interior lineman Elgton Jenkins is expected to start at left tackle for however long Bakhtiari is out. While he has proven to be great and versatile, that still raises concerns for the line as a whole.
Green Bay is replacing center Corey Linsley with rookie Josh Myers already but is also moving Billy Turner to right tackle and relying on Jon Runyan to step up as a starting guard. That’s a lot of movement for a position group that, traditionally, does best when operating with continuity. There is a distinct lack of that and, for at least early in the year, the line could be without its best piece in Bakhtiari.
Though the Packers have made strides defensively, the fact of the matter is the team’s success begins with their offense. Rodgers being back is a huge part of that, as are Adams, Aaron Jones and so on. But the line can’t be overlooked either. Thus, the lack of clarity about Bakhtiari’s recovery is at least somewhat worrisome.
To be sure, Bakhtiari’s rehab appears to be going well. All signs from his recovery are good and, if that keeps up, he’ll return to the field and be a stalwart tackle. That being said, there should be a lot more attention being paid to the Packers and fanbase at large not knowing when exactly he’s going to be returning to the field because, simply, it’s darn important to the team’s success.