Packers OT David Bakhtiari placed on IR with knee issue
Five-time All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari is on injured reserve, the Green Bay Packers announced Thursday.
Bakhtiari was already ruled out of Thursday night's Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions. Now, he will miss at least three more games after the matchup. The soonest he could comeback is Nov. 5 against the Los Angeles Rams.
But due to the continued struggles with his knee, there is reportedly uncertainty about when or if he will return, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
It's been a long and winding road to recovery for Bakhtiari since he tore his ACL on New Year's Eve 2020. He underwent three surgeries in a three-year span to treat the knee, which still hampers his availability. Last week, head coach Matt LaFleur shut down further questions about Bakhtiari's status after telling reporters the three-time Pro Bowler was dealing with knee swelling.
LaFleur's curt address came as Bakhtiari combatted accusations he was avoiding playing on turf when he missed a Week 2 game played on the surface — which he has advocated for the league to stop using.
Bakhtiari recently told USA Today's Ryan Wood he only considers retirement in off-handed quiet moments to himself.
"I think it's going to be more like a doctor having to be like, 'You'd know. What are you doing?'" he said on Sept. 20. "And I'd be like, 'All right, fair.' I mean, I'm going to get fined for this one, but I just enjoy it too much and I'm too f— good at it. It's just tough for me to... if I was bad, like, when I play games with like one hand tied behind my back and I'm still just like doing my thing. At least if I was bad, I'd maybe entertain it a little more, but that's the part that's tough, when I know I'm still good and at a disadvantage."
Elsewhere on the Packers' injury front, they signed linebacker Kristian Welch and elevated cornerbacks Corey Ballentine and Kiondre Thomas from the practice squad ahead of Thursday's game.
Cornerbacks Jaire Alexander (back) and Carrington Valentine (biceps) and right tackle Zach Tom (knee) were listed as questionable for the contest. Left guard Elgton Jenkins (knee) will not play.
