GREEN BAY – All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari is slated to return to practice Sunday for the Packers, Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced shortly before the workout.
Bakhtiari's activation off the physically unable to perform list (PUP) comes three weeks before the regular-season opener at Minnesota, but there's been no determination whether or not he can be ready to play then.
LaFleur cautioned he'll be doing only individual drills initially and will be monitored closely for future progress.
"We're excited to get him out on the grass, but we're going to take it one day at a time," LaFleur said.
"There's been no thought as far as Week 1 is concerned right now. We have to see how he responds. When he's ready, he's ready."
Bakhtiari initially tore the ACL in his knee back in late December of 2020 and missed the postseason that year. During his rehab in 2021, a follow-up procedure was done on the knee, delaying his return until the regular-season finale at Detroit.
He played the first half of that game with the idea to prepare for the playoffs, but the knee didn't respond well to the workload and he was sidelined again. Another follow-up procedure this past offseason kept him out of practice throughout OTAs and minicamp, and he began training camp on PUP for the second straight year.
His last full season, in 2020, Bakhtiari earned his fifth All-Pro selection, combining first- and second-team honors.
