McCarthy: Packers' LT Bakhtiari's injury not 'long-term'

AP

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari avoided a serious injury after being carted off the field at practice during the weekend.

Bakhtiari was hurt during the Family Night practice on Saturday at Lambeau Field. He walked to a cart with his left shoe removed before being driven back to the locker room.

Bakhtiari twisted his ankle while retreating in pass protection. He likened it to a "typical basketball" injury.

"It was weird," Bakhtiari said Monday, when the Packers returned to practice following a day off. "It didn't really feel bad, just kind of putting some weight into it and it just told me no. That was kind of (why) I was worried, but it should be all right."

Coach Mike McCarthy said Bakhtiari's injury was "not of the long-term nature." Bakhtiari will be evaluated as he goes through rehab.

"Obviously, you don't want to get hurt but, thankfully, nothing catastrophic, nothing that is going to derail anything moving forward," Bakhtiari said.

Good thing for the Packers, because he is one of their most important players given his role as quarterback Aaron Rodgers' reliable blind-side protector. He has been voted a second-team All-Pro each of the past two seasons.

Starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga just returned to practice on a limited basis following a right ACL injury that knocked him out at midseason last year.

Without those two, Kyle Murphy probably will start at left tackle and Jason Spriggs likely will start at right tackle for Thursday's first preseason game, at home against Tennessee. Murphy started three games last season before a foot injury ended his season. Two of those came at left tackle.

Green Bay placed inside linebacker Jake Ryan on injured reserve on Monday, likely ending his season. One of the team's best run-stoppers suffered a significant right knee injury in practice last week.

In that same practice, safety Kentrell Brice also was driven off the field on a cart, having re-injured the right ankle that required season-ending surgery last year. Brice, who had been taking first-team reps in the secondary, took part in some individual drills on Monday.

"It wasn't broken, so it was a positive outlook," Brice said. "Once they told me it wasn't fractured or broken, I just started walking on it. I figured sprain, bruise, something like that. I'll be all right."

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