GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – The Green Bay Packers lost one of the most important members of their high-powered attack, left All-Pro player David Bakhtiari, to what is believed to be a knee injury sustained at the end of the season in practice on Thursday , a source told ESPN.
NFL Network reported that the injury is probably a torn ACL.
Packers added Bakhtiari to the injury report after training on Thursday. During the part open to reporters, there was no apparent problem. Coach Matt LaFleur spoke before training and will answer questions from reporters on Friday.
The Packers (12-3), who lead the NFL with 31.6 points per game, would be NFC number 1 if they win the regular season final on Sunday at the Chicago Bears.
But now they will have to do it without their best player without attack skills. This came just six weeks after Bakhtiari signed a four-year record, a $ 103.5 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid striker in NFL history.
The 29-year-old chosen for the fourth round in 2013 was the first or second team All-Pro for the past four years. He was named holder of the Pro Bowl when the teams were announced last week.
When Bakhtiari lost three games at the start of the season to broken ribs, the Packers faced Billy Turner on the left tackle. Turner has been a regular holder on the right side, both on guard and in tackle.
Most recently, Turner started the last four games on the right guard, while Rick Wagner started on the right tackle. However, Wagner suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s victory over the Tennessee Titans and was a limited participant in the practice.
Another option would be to move Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins to the left tackle. Jenkins played everywhere except on the right guard this season, having played 599 snaps on the left guard, 286 in the center, 31 on the right tackle and 26 on the left tackle, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.