Key Offensive Linemen to Miss Week 1 for Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers offensive line was dealt a major blow early Sunday morning. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero announced the team was expecting to be without star tackles David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins for this week's crucial divisional game against the Minnesota Vikings:

The #Packers are expected to be without LT David Bakhtiari (knee), RT Elgton Jenkins (pectoral/knee) and WR Allen Lazard (ankle) today against the #Vikings, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

Yosh Nijman slated to start in Bakhtiari’s place on Aaron Rodgers’ blind side.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 11, 2022

Bakhtiari returned to practice earlier this offseason after a devastating ACL tear cost him the 2020 postseason and all but one game of 2021. Jenkins suffered a similar ACL injury in Week 11 of the 2021 season and had been participating in team drills. Their absence could spell disaster for a Packers offense that is already missing Davante Adams and Allen Lazard, last year's top two leading receivers.

Bakhtiari and Jenkins have four Pro Bowlers between them and are arguably the most accomplished players on the Packers offense after four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. Of the two, Bakhtiari's continued absence is the most concerning: he turns 31 later this year, and the fact he has yet to fully recover from an injury sustained all the way back in December of 2021 doesn't reflect positively on his long-term prospects. This week's game against the Vikings is just about as big as it gets; if he can't play today, he may not be that close to playing at all. Hopefully, he and Jenkins can get healthy and contribute sooner than later.