Packers Rumors: David Bakhtiari Undergoes Surgery for Knee Injury

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari reportedly has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, a cleanup procedure following surgery for a torn ACL in January.

Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the news Tuesday and noted it's possible Bakhtiari returns in December following the team's Week 13 bye:

The three-time Pro Bowler hasn't played yet in 2021 after suffering the ACL injury during a practice last December.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Monday that Bakhtiari wouldn't play in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams.

"He won't be out there this week. We'll see where he's at after the bye," LeFleur told reporters. "We're hopeful that he will be able to come back this year at some point."

Bakhtiari emerged as a stalwart at left tackle for the Packers immediately after the franchise selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He started all 16 games as a rookie and played 118 of a possible 128 contests across his first eight seasons.

The 30-year-old University of Colorado product drew praise from quarterback Aaron Rodgers when he returned to practice in mid-October.

"It's good having him back. He's a stud. He's a future Hall of Famer," Rodgers said.

Elgton Jenkins had shifted from guard to left tackle to fill the void and played well, earning a strong 82.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus before suffering his own torn ACL in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Yosh Nijman and Dennis Kelly are Green Bay's reserve tackles. It's unclear whether one of them will protect Rodgers' blind side against the Rams or if right tackle Billy Turner will shift to the left side while Nijman or Kelly takes his place on the right side.

The Packers will hope it's a one-week solution before Bakhtiari can reclaim his longtime role coming out of the bye when they face the Chicago Bears on Dec. 12.

That said, Green Bay (8-3) has some margin for error thanks to its 2.5-game lead over the Vikings (5-5) in the NFC North, so it doesn't have to rush the two-time first-team All-Pro selection back into action.