Surprise!: Bakhtiari Returns to Practice

For the first time in more than a month, five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari practiced for the Green Bay Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the NFL, things change fast.

After the game on Sunday and again on Monday, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he was hopeful left tackle David Bakhtiari would return to practice.

During his 1:20 p.m. media availability, LaFleur said Bakhtiari would not practice.

“Ja will be out there for some indy (individual drills), but those other guys will not,” LaFleur said when asked if cornerback Jaire Alexander, outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and Bakhtiari would practice.

When practice started inside the Don Hutson Center at 1:55 p.m., someone on the far side of the building was going through the pre-practice stretch with an off-white sweatshirt pull over his jersey. At 2:01 p.m., when everyone else ran outside for practice, the mystery pulled off his sweatshirt. It was David Bakhtiari, who ran out the doors and onto the field to the applause of the other offensive linemen.

Bakhtiari went through individual drills during the portion of practice open to reporters. Presumably, that’s all he did in his first practice since Nov. 11.

While Bakhtiari went through drills, quarterback Jordan Love was throwing passes after sitting out last week due to COVID protocols.

Bakhtiari suffered a torn ACL at practice on New Year’s Eve. While the Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game without him, their offensive line was overrun by the Buccaneers in the title game. If Bakhtiari can be back in form by the time the playoffs start, it would be an enormous lift to one of the most injury-plagued teams in the NFL.

“That’d be nice to get the Big Giraffe back out there,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Obviously, he’s gone through a lot in his rehab and there’s definitely been some low days for him and some contrasting better days. I think he’s in a lot better place now than when he was trying to come back the first time. That’s exciting. He seems to be feeling a lot better with his knee and his recovery. Yeah, it’d be great to have him back. He’s an All-Pro player. We’re not going to have maybe first-team All-Pro expectations from snap No. 1, but 80 percent of the Big Giraffe is better than most of the guys in the league. It’d be good to get him back out there for sure.”

With such a long layoff, No. 3 left tackle Yosh Nijman presumably will make his sixth start of the season on Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens.

Meanwhile, LaFleur said there is hope right tackle Billy Turner will be able to return this season after suffering an injured left knee during the first half on Sunday night against Chicago.

“This season, yeah, I think so,” LaFleur said. “But I think we’re still kind of going through everything to see where he’s at.”

In other injury updates, tight end Dominique Dafney (ankle) and receiver Malik Taylor (abdominal), who dropped out of Sunday’s game, were back at practice. Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (concussion) was not present.