Packers offense can withstand David Bakhtiari's week-to-week uncertainty

David Bakhtiari feels like "a sports car stuck in second gear" due to knee issues, but the Packers can work around his availability questions.

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Another day, another DNP.

David Bakhtiari, the Green Bay Packers' starting left tackle, hasn't practiced since training camp. Despite finishing 2022 on a high note and enjoying a healthy offseason, the All-Pro ran into some yet-undisclosed issues with his knee, the same one for which he underwent reconstructive surgery more than two years earlier.

That grew into a subplot heading into the team's season opener against the Chicago Bears, but the lack of on-field work didn't keep Bakhtiari from playing every snap prior to garbage time. For a veteran offensive lineman in his 11th season, the lack of practice reps doesn't have the same deleterious effect it might with a younger player.

That approach -- little to no practice during the week before suiting up on game day -- seemed like the new status quo for Bakhtiari moving forward.

"I think that's just kind of the nature of the beast," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Bakhtiari's workload. "He'll probably be questionable all year."

Indeed, Green Bay listed Bakhtiari as questionable on the Week 2 injury report. Still, the team gave no serious indication that he wouldn't ultimately play this past weekend against the Atlanta Falcons.

Of course, a different scenario played out on Sunday. Bakhtiari became a surprise inactive, joining injured teammates Aaron Jones and Christian Watson in street clothes for the contest. Given the tackle's longstanding opposition to artificial playing surfaces like the one installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, some wondered whether Bakhtiari opted to sit out as a matter of self-preservation.

That led to a contentious atmosphere during the postgame press conference.

"I'm not going to get into that," LaFleur said when asked whether Bakhtiari might miss more games played on artificial surfaces. "We all know this has been two years now. I'm not going to get into it. It's probably going to be like this from here on out."

LaFleur's irritation hadn't cleared up before he met with the media again Monday, exacerbating speculation about Bakhtiari and what the Packers could expect from him the rest of the season.

On Wednesday, the All-Pro left tackle finally set the record straight.

"I'd never leave them to hang out to dry. I signed up to play," Bakhtiari said. "I plan on playing, and when I can play, I'm going to play. Clearly, if I'm not playing, there's something going on. It hasn't been a secret. It's something I've been battling with and it's been shitty. It's been weighing on me a lot. You think I don't want to play? You think I want to be a great football player and then just disappear? Fuck no."

And Bakhtiari certainly rejects the notion he won't play on artificial turf.

"You think I'm scared to say I didn't want to play because of turf?" Bakhtiari asked rhetorically. "If I really felt like that, I'd just say that.

"I don't think it's appropriate at all to say I would not play in the game because of turf. Hence, it is not appropriate to leave all my teammates out there and not play. It is not an appropriate question to even entertain."

Bakhtiari's knee may or may not keep him out of Sunday's matchup with the New Orleans Saints, a situation he compares to "a sports car getting stuck in second gear." Certainly, the Packers would prefer to have him stationed on Jordan Love's blindside against such a formidable defense.

Still, should Bakhtiari miss more time, Green Bay has already demonstrated the ability to fill his void without derailing the offense.