Packers’ David Bakhtiari a ‘Longshot’ to Play Sunday, LaFleur Says

The All-Pro tackle may miss his second consecutive game following an emergency appendectomy.

Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari is a “longshot” to play on Monday night against the Rams after undergoing an appendectomy, according to coach Matt LaFleur.

“I don’t know if this is the first time I’ve been around a player that’s had one of these, at least in the season,” LaFleur said. “We’ll see how he progresses throughout the course of the week, and obviously, he’s a guy that doesn’t need a lot of time on the field to get out there and go play. …It’s probably a longshot, but we’ll see.” 

If Bakhtiari does not play against the Rams, it would mark the second consecutive game that the All-Pro tackle has missed after undergoing the procedure last week. Bakhtiari has been stellar when he’s played this season, stepping back into the fold after a 2020 ACL injury that kept him sidelined all of ’21 and the early portion of the ’22 season.

• Get your seats to Green Bay Packers games with SI Tickets

Even with Bakhtiari playing at a high level, the Packers offense as a whole has struggled. Aaron Rodgers has struggled to jell with the team’s new-look receiving corps, and the offensive line as a whole has struggled to protect him this season.

With four games remaining on the schedule, Green Bay is in desperate need of a victory on Monday to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive. After making the NFC Championship game last season, the 5–8 Packers are in serious danger of missing the postseason.