Tackle David Bakhtiari will miss at least several more weeks with a knee injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur is concerned about the health of his O-lineman

David Bakthiari is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL – when he’s fit.

While the left tackle was able to suit up against Chicago in Week 1, he struggled again with knee problems afterwards. Bakhtiari hasn’t played since the 38-20 win over the Bears, and last week the Green Bay Packers finally put him on the Injured Reserve List.

That leaves the four-time Pro Bowler out for at least two more games. Most recently, reports even surfaced that the Packers star had yet to undergo surgery and might not be ready to play again until the 2024 season.

Most worryingly for Green Bay, Bakhtiari has been struggling with health issues for almost three years – he tore his cruciate ligament in December 2020. Since then, he has only played 13 NFL games.

These circumstances are also on Head Coach Matt LaFleur’s mind, as he shared on “The Rich Eisen Show”. “I’m very concerned because this is the third year now. Obviously, I’m very concerned. When he played against Chicago in week one, he played at a top level even though he hadn’t practiced much. “The 43-year-old also has words of praise.

Green Bay Packers: LaFleur finds warm words for injured Bakhtiari

And continued, “It just speaks to the type of player he is. He knows how to mentally prepare his body and mind to play at a high level. Any time you don’t have a Pro Bowler like him in the line-up, it’s a cause for concern.”

Whether Bakthiari will be used again this season remains to be seen. But what is certain is that he will miss both the Monday Night Game against the Las Vegas Raiders and 12 days later against the Denver Broncos. And probably even longer.