The Green Bay Packers will have to make a choice if David Bakhtiari returns to the field. That is, who is going to play left tackle.
The decision may have to come as early as this week. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Bakhtiari had a “great” day of practice Wednesday and will practice again on Friday.
This is by far the closest Bakhtiari has come to playing in a game this season. It has been over a year since the All-Pro left tackle tore his ACL in practice, but he has yet to suit up since being activated off the reserve/physically unable to perform list in November. However, that could change this week as Bakhtiari could be trending toward playing against the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
Of course, nothing is set in stone, and the Packers could choose to hold Bakhtiari out until the playoffs. However, it may be wise to get him some reps during the regular season to try and shake off the rust.
Bakhtiari’s replacement Elgton Jenkins tore his ACL in a Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Third-stringer Yosh Nijman has done a bang-up job filling in but could be sent to the bench when Bakhtiari is ready to play. Or Nijman could always slide over to right tackle.
Green Bay is also without their starting right tackle, Billy Turner, who suffered a knee injury in their Week 14 win over the Chicago Bears. Turner has been a mainstay on the Packers offensive line the past three seasons but has yet to return to practice. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, which may have prevented him from practicing this week.
Turner was replaced by Dennis Kelly, a veteran tackle who hasn’t allowed a single sack or pressure in his last two starts.
Nijman and Kelly are the two most likely candidates to start at right tackle if or when Bakhtiari returns. Kelly could have a slight edge due to his experience and familiarity with the position, but Nijman has proven that he has a bright NFL future despite going undrafted in 2019.
Whoever they decide to go with, Green Bay’s offensive line has been able to weather every storm that has come their way. Deciding who the best right tackle is until everyone is healthy shouldn’t make much of a difference.