GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that he expected left tackle David Bakhtiari to participate in positional drills in practice, but his status for the team’s playoff game on Sunday against the Washington Redskins is still to be determined.
Bakhtiari, who ended up setting out the entirety of practice on Wednesday afternoon, has missed the Packers’ last two games with a left ankle injury. Backup Don Barclay stepped in for Bakhtiari in the 38-8 loss at the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 27, while left guard Josh Sitton replaced Bakhtiari in the 20-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the de facto NFC North title game on Sunday.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked eight times by the Cardinals and five times by the Vikings. He had been sacked, on average, 2.5 times a game over the Packers’ first 14 games.
Bakhtiari said Monday that he didn’t feel comfortable during a pregame workout and that the team’s medical staff decided to hold him out. Sitton, selected to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, said after the game that he didn’t feel particularly comfortable playing left tackle.
“I agree: Josh is a guard,” McCarthy said on Wednesday. “We tried something, and I thought it was effective for the most part, but again, that’s not the way you intend the game to go. When it does go that way, obviously, the left tackle position is stressed.”
Bakhtiari’s absence could similarly benefit the Redskins, who have combined for 17 sacks during their four-game winning streak. Rookie outside linebacker Preston Smith, who typically lines up on the right side of the defense, has five of those sacks.
McCarthy also said that cornerback Sam Shields, who is recovering from a concussion, is uncertain to play on Sunday. He has missed the last three games after getting hurt on Dec. 13 in a game against the Dallas Cowboys and again didn’t practice on Wednesday.
“That’s why the protocol’s in place,” McCarthy said. “I mean, you know, every injury is different. Every concussion is different. We’re not going to jeopardize Sam or anyone.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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