David Bakhtiari says he's on track to start opener vs. Vikings.
Story here: https://t.co/1GWfmhGYYl
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) September 5, 2022
Live look at Packer Twitter last night when Rob Demovsky dropped that tweet:
Based on how Bakhtiari’s rehab as gone since tearing his knee ligaments in January of 2021, and his status on the PUP list JUST getting lifted about a week ago, this would qualify as a happy little surprise. I’m not sure any Packer fan was penciling him into the lineup for Week 1 given all of those circumstances.
And on top of that it sounds like Elgton Jenkins might be locked at loaded as well. Look, it’s probably a fair expectation that the offense is going to come out a bit slow in Week 1. They’re transitioning to life without Davante Adams, and for the most part nobody of significance played in the preseason (and we all remember what happened in Week 1 last season after nobody played in the preseason*). That’s why it’s CRITICALLY important to have the offensive line as close to 100% as they can be. It will hopefully allow the running game to get on track, which should open some things up for Rodgers and his new cadre of wide receivers as the game progresses. Anyone who is anyone will tell you that football is won in the trenches but it’s going to especially be important for the Packers in these early weeks as they try to find their identify offensively. This is great news across the board.
*I had a few listeners on the B93 morning show bemoaning the fact that the Packers once again rested most of their stars in the preseason. And they pointed last season’s atrocious start against the Saints as reason to try a different method this season. I guess I can sort of understand having more of a sense of urgency with Week 1 being a division game, but I still don’t think it’s worth the risk of a major player getting hurt in the preseason. Sure the Packers got waxed against the Saints last season. So what? What did it matter? They still won 13 games and were the #1 seed in the NFC. If preseason games had an impact on the team winning in the playoffs? Then sign me up. Put everyone in. But that will never be the case. The Packers need to figure out how to win in January and February, not September.
PS: Clip relevancy rating 7/10:
