Packers officially activate LT David Bakhtiari from PUP, questions remain if he will play vs Seahawks

The Green Bay Packers have activated left tackle David Bakhtiari from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday, per the league’s transaction wire. Bakhtiari spent the season, up to this point, on PUP following the recovery of his 2020 ACL injury, which has led to both Elgton Jenkins, typically the team’s starting left guard, and Yosh Nijman to make starts at left tackle this season.

Bakhtiari, a five-time All-Pro bookend, essentially had to be activated this week, whether he is ready to play or not, as the 21-day window to move him up to the 53-man roster this season was triggered when he began to practice with the team on October 18th. Knowing that, this move does not promise that the Packers will be suiting him up against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. It’s also important to note that Green Bay has kept two spots open on their 53-man roster, with Bakhtiari, quarterback Aaron Rodgers (reserve/COVID-19) and cornerback Isaac Yiadom (reserve/COVID-19) potentially rejoining the squad this week. If three of them do return to the 53-man roster before Sunday, they do have to make a cut in some way, shape or form.

On Monday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur refused to come out and say that Bakhtiari would play against the Seahawks, claiming that the team needed to see how the tackle looked at the end of the week to make that decision. Today, Jenkins, who has been playing in place of Bakhtiari when healthy in 2021, would not firmly state where he would make his start this week.

In many ways, this move was expected and also gives us little to no new information on if Bakhtiari will be blocking Rodgers’ (or Jordan Love’s) blindside on Sunday. One would assume, though, that if Bakhtiari can go, he will go against the Seahawks.