MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 13: David Bakhtiari #69 of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the fourth quarter of the game at US Bank Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Packers defeated the Vikings 43-34. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers could receive a major boost to their offensive line.
Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, David Bakhtiari is slated to play in Week 1’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. The All-Pro left tackle has faced an arduous path back to the field since tearing his ACL at the end of 2020.
Bakhtiari isn’t committing just yet. He responded to Demovsky’s Twitter post by saying he’s “just taking it 1 day at a time” and including a GIF of the Joker advising not to “blow things out of proportion.”
Getting Bakhtiari back would be a major development for Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay’s offense.
However, some fans won’t celebrate until they see the 30-year-old on the field.
Bakhtiari has undergone three surgeries on his knee in the last two years. He returned in Week 17 to play 27 snaps before sitting out Green Bay’s playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
In July, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the three-time Pro Bowler called his rehab process a “nightmare.”
On Monday, Bakhtiari addressed the difficulty of coming back from multiple major procedures.
“I’m just getting back in the swing of things,” he said. “So, I mean, I think there’s a normal rest and then a new normal with three surgeries, so just kind of working that out and figuring out what my routine is.”
Although his return isn’t certain yet, Bakhtiari could shield Rodgers’ blind side in Sunday afternoon’s important NFC North encounter against the Vikings.
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