The Green Bay Packers will be without David Bakhtiari on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers starting left tackle is officially inactive after being listed as questionable on the final injury report.
It’s unclear if Bakhtiari is dealing with a flare-up in his surgically repaired knee or if the playing surface at Mercedes Benz Stadium — artificial turf — played a factor in his availability.
Buy Packers TicketsBakhtiari didn’t have a playing status designation in Week 1 and played without restriction on the grass field at Soldier Field.
Last season, Bakhtiari only played a partial game when the Packers faced the Detroit Lions on the artificial turf at Ford Field. It’s also worth noting that former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers just suffered a torn Achilles tendon on the turf at MetLife Stadium in Week 1, reigniting Bakhtiari’s plea for the NFL to switch to all grass fields.
If turf was the mitigating factor, Bakhtiari would be expected to miss future games against the Detroit Lions (Week 12), New York Giants (Week 14), Carolina Panthers (Week 15) and Minnesota Vikings (Week 17).
With Bakhtiari inactive, second-year offensive tackle Rasheed Walker is expected to start at left tackle. Walker, a seventh-round pick last year, played 120 snaps at left tackle over three preseason games and gave up just two pressures. Sunday in Atlanta would be Walker’s first career NFL start.
