No Timeline on Green Bay Packers Tackle's Return

The long, unlucky saga of Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari has taken another unfortunate twist. The three-time Pro Bowler underwent an emergency appendectomy on Friday, and according to head coach Matt LaFleur, he could be out for "a while."

Matt LaFleur on David Bakhtiari’s return timetable after his Friday appendectomy:

“From what I’m told, it could be a while.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) December 5, 2022

Bakhtiari missed Week 13's 28-19 win over the Chicago Bears because of the procedure. He has also missed another 23 games since December of 2020 due to an ACL tear suffered during practice and ensuing complications surrounding its recovery.

When available, Bakhtiari is among the league's elite offense linemen and one of the better pass protectors in the league. He earned an elite 91.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2020, his last healthy season, and has been more than solid over his nine appearances this year, achieving an 82.1 overall grade. An extended absence could be a fatal blow to the 5-8 Packers' already fleeting chances of making the playoffs.

Bakhtiari initially joined the Packers as their 109th overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft. He immediately proved himself a draft steal, starting 16 games at the all-important left tackle spot as a rookie. He has presided over two first-place finishes in scoring for the Packers during his tenure and earned first-team All-Pros in 2018 as well as 2020, a year in which Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers also won MVP.