Packers LT David Bakhtiari avoided serious injury, per report

Although the Green Bay Packers' Family Night is always a source of fun and good times for the team and its fans, events took a bit of a somber turn on Saturday. Two-time second-team All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari was forced to leave the practice on a cart, making him a reason for significant concern as the team looks ahead to its first preseason game of 2018 on Thursday.

However, it appears that Bakhtiari was able to avoid any serious injuries. As NFL Network's Ian Rapaport reported on Sunday, Bakhtiari's injury is apparently a sprained ankle rather than a more serious issue like a fully torn ligament.

This is welcome news, and it suggests that there is still a good chance that Bakhtiari will be ready to go by the time the regular season begins in five weeks.

Bakhtiari's injury came on the heels of his bookend's return. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga had just been cleared to practice and removed from the PUP list a day prior, putting him ahead of schedule in his return from a torn ACL last November. Thankfully, he appears on schedule to be ready by week one as well.

With Bakhtiari likely spending the next few weeks rehabbing his ankle, look for Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy to split the starter's reps at left tackle. With Bulaga still not ready for full team drills, those two players will presumably start in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, though which player will be on which side is yet to be revealed.

UPDATE: In his Monday press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Bakhtiari’s injury is not serious, saying that “it’s not of a long-term nature.”