The Green Bay Packers have placed All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari on the PUP list to begin the 2021 season, putting the offensive line in a tough spot.
Aaron Rodgers is firmly back for the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 NFL season but he’ll start the season without his franchise left tackle, David Bakhtiari, on the field.
Bakhtiari has been on the PUP list for the entirety of training camp with many fans hoping he would be activated sooner rather than later. Alas, that didn’t happen and, as the Packers made cuts to get the roster to 53 players on Tuesday, it was reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport that the left tackle would stay on the PUP list to begin the year, meaning he’ll miss the first six weeks of the season.
The stalwart bookend for the Green Bay offensive line suffered a torn ACL in Week 17 last season, causing him to miss the playoff run and all offseason for the Packers. It’s clear the organization doesn’t want to rush him back and, for a player as valuable as Bakhtiari, that makes complete sense for the Pack and keeping him out for six weeks assures that he should recover fully.
With that said, Bakhtiari not being on the field could cause some problems early in the season for the Packers.
The offensive line could have some early woes for the Green Bay Packers.
David Bakhtiari being out will likely mean that the Packers keep their preseason plan of moving Elgton Jenkins to left tackle for the start of the year. He’s been a stud on the interior but continued to prove he’s one of the league’s best overall offensive linemen by playing well so far when asked to man the blindside.
However, the concern for the Packers offensive line without Bakhtiari isn’t because of Jenkins individually but, rather, the situation as a whole. Green Bay will now start the 2021 season without their starting left tackle and center from last season. They’re also expected to replace Corey Linsley at center with rookie Josh Myers and move several other pieces around.
Put simply, the left-to-right talent that we’ve seen in the trenches in recent years with Green Bay isn’t there without Bakhtiari on the field. Furthermore, one of the biggest aids for a line in the NFL is continuity, something the Packers would be working against regardless but even more so over the first six weeks of the year.
The offensive line has hardly been an issue for this franchise and they deserve faith in putting a competent unit together while Bakhtiari is out. That being said, the left tackle’s absence does mean that it’s something that fans — and, frankly, the coaches — should be paying extra attention to early in the year.