Packers-Buccaneers Final Injury Report: Bakhtiari Questionable; Watkins, Godwin Out

The Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have wounded left tackles and injury-plagued receiver groups headed into Sunday’s game. Here is the final injury report.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Sep 23, 2022 4:11 PM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but could this be the week that Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari returns to the starting lineup?

Bakhtiari practiced on Friday – a second consecutive day in which he was limited participation. Before the Week 1 game against Minnesota, he was limited on Wednesday and Thursday, didn’t practice on Friday and was inactive for the game. Before the Week 2 game against Chicago, Bakhtiari was limited on Wednesday and Friday and inactive for the game.

For the third consecutive week, coach Matt LaFleur listed Bakhtiari as questionable. Also questionable are receivers Randall Cobb (illness) and Christian Watson (hamstring) and tight end Marcedes Lewis (groin). Receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring), who caught three passes for 93 yards in the victory over Chicago and is the team’s leading receiver, is out.

“We’ll see,” LaFleur said before practice when asked about the state of a receiver corps in which four members are on the injury report. “We’ll know by gametime; 90 minutes before kickoff, we’ll know.”

Kicker Mason Crosby (illness), receiver Allen Lazard (ankle) and defensive tackle Kenny Clark (groin) were not given an injury designation so will be good to go.

Lazard missed the opener with an ankle injury, then aggravated it early in last week’s victory over Chicago but played most of the game. Lazard and Watson did not practice on Thursday but returned on Friday.

Was LaFleur playing it safe with Lazard or was he limited due to the re-injury?

“Yeah,” LaFleur said.

With or without Bakhtiari, left tackle doesn’t rank high on the list of the Packers’ issues. That’s because Yosh Nijman has delivered two strong performances, building off what he accomplished while making the first eight starts of his career last year. But Bakhtiari is Bakhtiari – a five-time All-Pro who was on a Hall of Fame trajectory until tearing an ACL at practice on Dec. 31, 2020.

Paired with last week’s debut of Elgton Jenkins at right tackle, the return of Bakhtiari – whenever it happens – would give the Packers their preferred starting five.

“I’m not sure where he’s going to be at percentage-wise, not just physically but mentally,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Wednesday. “When he’s back, he’s a minimum top-three left tackle in the league. Yosh has played really well for us but there’s a reason Dave gets paid what he gets paid and he’s been a first-team All-Pro many times.”

The Buccaneers have a lot of injury issues, too. Oddly enough, they’re at the same positions. That starts at receiver, with Mike Evans (suspension) and Chris Godwin (hamstring) out and Julio Jones (knee) questionable. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Jones, who was limited participation at Friday’s practice, would be a game-time decision.

“We want him healthy. If he’s not healthy, he’s not going to play. It’s that simple,” Bowles told reporters in Tampa.

Left tackle Donovan Smith, who suffered an elbow injury in the opener, practiced on Thursday but not Friday. He is doubtful. That means the Bucs will probably start their No. 3 left tackle, Brandon Walton.

“We’ll see how he feels on Sunday,” Bowles said of Smith.