The Green Bay Packers have a chance to return three All-Pros between now and the end of the season. Left tackle David Bakhtiari, cornerback Jaire Alexander, and edge rusher Za’Darius Smith have been on injured reserve for most of 2021, but there is still hope that all three could return to the field at some point.
Bakhtiari could be the closest after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to clean up his knee. Last season, the Packers’ All-Pro left tackle tore his ACL in practice just before Week 17. Ten months removed from his initial surgery, Bakhtiari returned to the practice field in October but is now being held out to give him more time to fully heal.
“We’ll see where he’s at after the bye,” said coach Matt LaFleur. “We’re hopeful that he will be able to come back this year at some point.”
Meanwhile, Alexander and Smith appear to be making progress from injuries suffered during the season. Alexander injured his shoulder in a 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4. There was concern that Green Bay’s top corner could be lost for the season, but he was recently spotted at practice without a sling.
Smith has been dealing with a back issue dating back to this summer. He tried to play through the injury in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints but was not the same player. Smith was subsequently placed on IR and eventually underwent back surgery. He returned to the Packers in late October stating “I feel like a new man.”
We are still unsure when any of Green Bay’s injured All-Pros will return to practice. If and when they do, it will surely provide a nice boost to a team that has weathered the storm to secure a 9-3 record entering the bye week.
Assuming all three can return before the end of the season, let’s rank the trio that has combined for seven All-Pro selections in terms of importance.