Bakhtiari Joins List of Packers on PUP

Veteran kicker Mason Crosby and rookie receiver Christian Watson are among the players who will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers placed five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari on the physically unable to perform list on Saturday.

The news obviously is not encouraging. Bakhtiari was injured at practice 569 days ago. Other than 27 snaps at Detroit in Week 18, which he played at the urging of Aaron Rodgers, he missed all of last season and the playoff loss. 

At the end of OTAs in June, coach Matt LaFleur spoke optimistically that Bakhtiari would be on the field for the first practice of camp on Wednesday.

“We fully anticipate him being ready to go, but we did last year, as well,” LaFleur said. “I think time will tell. But we feel good about the work that he’s put in and where he’s at.”

Bakhtiari sat out the offseason practices, though that was part of the plan to get him ready for camp, LaFleur said.

Rookies reported for the start of camp on Friday, and the team listed nine players – including some veterans – on the physically unable to perform list. Bakhtiari was not among them.

Veterans are due to report to training camp on Tuesday. Additions to PUP could be made at that time.

So, other than Bakhtiari, who is on PUP? These players were listed on Friday.

Kicker Mason Crosby (missed the end of the offseason practices with an undisclosed injury).

Defensive lineman Dean Lowry (missed the end of the offseason practices with a minor muscle strain).

Tight end Robert Tonyan (missed the second half of last season with a torn ACL).

Offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (missed the second half of last season with a torn ACL).

Running back Kylin Hill (missed the second half of last season with a torn ACL).

Receiver Christian Watson (unknown).

Defensive tackle Hauati Pututau (missed the end of the offseason practices with an undisclosed injury).

Outside linebacker Randy Ramsey (missed last season with a broken ankle; during OTAs, he thought he’d be ready for the start of camp).

Running back Patrick Taylor (unknown).

Starting training camp on PUP doesn’t necessarily mean there’s been a serious injury or, in the case of Bakhtiari, a setback. 

Last year, for instance, Taylor opened training camp on PUP but missed only four practices. Placing a player on PUP before training camp means that player can open the regular season on PUP. That presumably will be the case for Jenkins, the star offensive lineman who suffered a torn ACL in November at Minnesota. Players who open the regular season on PUP must sit out the first six weeks before they can begin practicing.

“If we get ‘69’ [Bakhtiari] back and Elgton back, that’s a pretty damn good line, I think,” Rodgers said in June.

Also, three rookies – seventh-round offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, undrafted rookie offensive tackle Caleb Jones and undrafted rookie linebacker Caliph Brice – were placed on the non-football injury list on Friday.

As is the case with the players on PUP, players who open camp on the NFI list can begin practicing whenever they’re cleared by the training staff.

With the release of tight end Eli Wolf, 13 of the Packers’ 89 players could be out for the start of training camp.