If a five-game winning streak wasn’t enough to be happy about, Packers fans received more good news on Monday. Less than 24 hours following Green Bay’s 24-14 win in Chicago, coach Matt LaFleur announced that All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari is expected to return to practice this week after spending the season’s first six weeks on the team’s physically unable to perform list. Bakhtiari was still working his way back from a torn ACL sustained during practice on Dec. 31.
The news of Bakhtiari’s return comes a day after the return of fellow Pro Bowl lineman Elgton Jenkins. Jenkins, who initially replaced Bakhtiari, had missed Green Bay’s previous three games with an ankle injury before returning to the starting lineup against the Bears. Jenkins played in each of the Packers’ 59 offensive snaps against the Bears. Yosuah Nijman had replaced Jenkins at left tackle during his three-game absence.
Despite these injuries, the Packers’ offense has largely found its footing. After scoring just three points in the season-opening loss to the Saints, Green Bay has scored an average of 28.2 points per game during its five-game winning streak. The offense continues to be led by reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers, who has completed nearly 67 percent of his throws with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions through six games.
Green Bay’s offense will surely welcome back Bakhtiari, a 2013 fourth-round pick who has established himself as one of the NFL‘s top offensive linemen. He recently came in at No. 27 on CBS Sports NFL senior writer Pete Prisco’s annual list of the league’s top-100 players.
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