Packers-Bears Injury Report: ‘Show Will Go On’ Without Bakhtiari

For Green Bay, David Bakhtiari and Kingsley Keke are out. For Chicago, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Buster Skrine will remain on the sideline.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Friday confirmed left tackle David Bakhtiari will miss the rest of the season with a “freak” knee injury sustained at Thursday’s practice.

Bakhtiari, obviously, was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

“You’re talking about a premier left tackle in this league,” LaFleur said. “You feel so bad for Dave, just all the work and everything he pours into this job. And he does such a great job, such a great team leader. But, like I told our players, there’s going to be nobody that’s feeling sorry for us as a football team. And our standards, our expectations, they don't change.”

It was a devastating blow for a top Super Bowl contender, and a low blow considering the Packers were going through a noncontact practice on Thursday.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he was still going through the “grieving process” of losing a teammate and close friend.

Despite the gut-punch injury, LaFleur liked how the team went through Friday’s practice.

“My job is just to stress to our guys the importance of what we have in front of us, and to attack each moment of every day trying to figure out ways and prepare to the best of our ability to go play a really good football team,” LaFleur said. “I was really proud of our guys in terms of how we responded today. I thought the practice was really clean today.

“Anytime you have an injury and you see a cart come out on the field, that can be deflating, no matter who it is. You hate to see your teammates go down with something like that, and so I think it did take us a while to refocus yesterday, and I thought today our guys came back with the right mind-set. I know everybody feels bad for David. He’s so well-liked and so well-respected. But the show will go on. It’s always going to be that next-man-up mentality, but at the same time, we’ll always feel for David or whoever’s injured.”

One potential “next man up” is right tackle Rick Wagner, who exited last week’s victory over Tennessee with a knee injury, practiced the past two days and is expected to play. His availability, obviously, would be a big help in trying to overcome the loss of Bakhtiari. One potential lineup change would be moving right tackle Billy Turner to left tackle and inserting Wagner at right tackle. That’s mostly how the Packers dealt with Bakhtiari’s three-game absence at midseason following a broken rib.

“We think he’s going to be good to go and (we’ve) got a lot of confidence,” LaFleur said. ‘Rick’s done an outstanding job all season long and fortunate to have a guy that’s capable to come in there and play good football for us.”

Along with Bakhtiari, defensive tackle Kingsley Keke (concussion) will be out on Sunday. Keke has four sacks. Keke’s absence perhaps improves the chances of newly added Damon Harrison making his Packers debut. Once one of the premier run-stoppers in the NFL, he was claimed off waivers on Thursday.

Running back Jamaal Williams (quad), tight end Jace Sternberger (concussion) and safety Will Redmond (concussion), all of whom were out last week, were removed from the injury report.

Chicago will be without starting corners Jaylon Johnson and Buster Skrine for the third consecutive game. Johnson, a rookie second-round pick, is fifth in the NFL with 15 passes defensed. Skrine mans the nickel.

Packers Injury Report

Out: LT David Bakhtiari (knee), DT Kingsley Keke (concussion).

Questionable: G Simon Stepaniak (knee).

Bears Injury Report

Out: CB Jaylon Johnson (shoulder), CB Buster Skrine (concussion).

Questionable: S Devin Bush (foot), S Tayshaun Gipson (neck), TE Demetrius Harris (foot), TE Cole Kmet (shoulder), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (knee).