The Green Bay Packers left no room for suspense in terms of David Bakhtiari’s availability for Week 4: The veteran left tackle won’t play Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. No surprises come the inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff. Bakhtiari was officially ruled out on Wednesday’s final injury report.
Bakhtiari, a five-time All-Pro who needed multiple surgeries to correct a significant knee injury suffered during the 2020 season, started the Packers’ Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears but has since missed games against the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.
Bakhtiari didn’t practice all week and hasn’t practiced since Aug. 30. The surgically repaired knee continues to be an unpredictable problem for Bakhtiari and the Packers despite a modified practice schedule.
When on the field, Bakhtiari has been a dominant player. But given the early troubles with his knee, it’s unclear how many games the Packers will get with Bakhtiari available this season.
Second-year offensive tackle Rasheed Walker will get a third straight start at left tackle. He’s been impressive in pass protection to open the 2023 season and looks like a potential long-term replacement for Bakhtiari.
It’s possible the Packers will need to start Walker at left tackle and Yosh Nijman at right tackle. Zach Tom, the starter on the right side, is dealing with a knee injury coming out of Sunday’s win over the Saints and is officially questionable.
The Packers also ruled out starting left guard Elgton Jenkins, who injured his knee in Atlanta and will likely miss at least one more game before the bye, and inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who injured his ankle in the first half last week and didn’t return. Neither player was available to practice this week. Safety Zayne Anderson, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and still hasn’t made his Packers debut, was also ruled out.