Bakhtiari Confident But Cautious Upon Return
GREEN BAY, Wis. – With Sunday’s training camp practice complete, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur called David Bakhtiari to the center of the huddle to address the team.
When Bakhtiari was done, he broke down the team.
“Championship on three,” Bakhtiari said.
In unison, they responded, “One, two, three, championship!”
The rest of the message he kept to himself but it was an important moment that capped an important day.
“I’ll keep it between us and the men in this locker room but really just the appreciation and expectations for this year,” said Bakhtiari, who was activated from the physically unable to perform list earlier in the day.
Bakhtiari’s career took one hell of a detour exactly 598 days ago. On the practice field on New Year’s Eve 2020, perhaps the best offensive lineman in the NFL suffered a torn ACL. His comeback was derailed by a series of setbacks, including a second surgical procedure. When Bakhtiari started in Week 18 at Detroit, it appeared he had reached the finish line and was back just in time to help the Packers make a run at the Super Bowl. Instead, it was merely another detour. He was inactive for the loss to the 49ers, had another round of surgery and spent the first 17 practices of training camp on PUP.
“The first time I came back was awesome,” Bakhtiari said. “It’s just tough when it gets taken from you and it’s not by your choice. That was something that I had a hard time giving up, basically my knee saying no. This time now, I realize that I cannot control as much as I want to. I like to be in control of my destiny. It’s just more like, ‘Hey, what are you feeling like today, knee? How are you doing? You holding up well? Cool, we’re in this together, man.’ That’s been a special moment. Really grateful to be back out there again and hopefully no more back and forth. Just positive daily steps in the right direction.”
Coach Matt LaFleur did his best to temper expectations. So did Bakhtiari. He took part only in individual drills on Sunday. He blocked rookie offensive tackle Caleb Jones instead of Rashan Gary. Bakhtiari’s target is to be on the field for the season-opening game at the Minnesota Vikings but there are some steps to take along that path. Being cleared to practice was a big one.
“I feel really confident,” Bakhtiari said. “I felt confident the other times. It’s just more what does the future hold? If you know the future, let me know so I know what I’m going to get myself into. That’s why, again, most of the guys are going to give you BS and player jargon by saying ‘day to day,’ (but) it truly is day by day. That’s how I have to take it. When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
Through the pain, disappointment and numerous rehab reboots, Bakhtiari said he never considered calling it quits.
“I was going to have to be pulled away from my ankles with my nails gripping the ground being ripped off,’ he said. “I definitely was not going to go out without fighting. Definitely tested me. I don't know if my test is done yet.”
Before everything went wrong on Dec. 31, 2020, Bakhtiari was on a Hall of Fame path. He was a five-time All-Pro and considered a premier player at a premium position. Practicing on Sunday was the first goal. Feeling better and stronger on Monday is the next goal. Feeling stronger next Monday is another goal. Being back in the starting lineup is another goal.
Returning to greatness – his own definition of greatness – is the ultimate goal.
“That’s the expectation I set for myself, so I don’t expect for that to change,” he said. “The question is do I meet it or not. That’s for me to decide. If someone else says I am or I’m not, let’s say they say I am but I don’t think I am, that’s on me. I have my own expectations, my own goals of how I play and how I grade myself, even different from my coaches grade me.”
