GREEN BAY, Russia. – The Green Bay Packers lost one of the most important members of their powerful offense, left-wing All-Pro striker David Bakhtiari, for what is believed to be an end-of-season knee injury suffered in practice on Thursday, a source of stated for ESPN.
The NFL Network reported that the injury is likely a broken ACL.
The Packers added Bakhtiari to the injury report after training on Thursday. During the portion open to reporters, there were no apparent problems. Coach Matt LaFleur spoke before training and will continue to take questions from reporters on Friday.
The Packers (12-3), who lead the NFL in the score of 31.6 points per game, would be the No. 1 NFC if they won the regular season finale on Sunday at the Chicago Bears.
But now they will have to do it without the best position player without offensive ability. It comes just six weeks after they signed Bakhtiari for a four-year contract extension of $ 103.5 million, making him the highest paid linebacker in NFL history.
The choice in the fourth round, aged 29, in 2013, was the All-Pro team from the first or second team, in each of the last four years. He was named Pro Bowl starter when the selections were announced last week.
When Bakhtiari missed three games earlier this season due to a broken rib, the Packers played Billy Turner on the left attack. Turner was a regular starter on the right side, both on guard and attack.
Most recently, Turner started the last four games on the right guard, while Rick Wagner started on the right attack. However, Wagner suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s victory over the Tennessee Titans and was a limited participant in practice.
Another option would be to move the left Pro Bowl guard, Elgton Jenkins, to the left attack. Jenkins played everywhere, but the right guard this season, after playing 599 snaps on the left guard, 286 in the center, 31 on the right attack and 26 on the left attack, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.