The Green Bay Packers are nearing the start of a critical training camp, which will precede a critical and uncertain 2023-24 NFL season. Though, fans, should  expect one less wild card following the latest injury update for David Bakhtiari.

“I feel really good,” he told Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette last week after the Packers put a bow on offseason practice. “Obviously I don’t want to jinx it or oversell anything. But I think it will show up in how much I play.”

It has been a long and bumpy road back for the stalwart offensive tackle, one that appeared to forecast a potential departure from Lambeau Field. Bakhtiari's resilience knows no bounds, however, as three knee surgeries since 2021 are not enough to end his storied run. While nothing concrete was said, the veteran was a regular participant at OTAs and should be good to go for Packers training camp at the end of July.

Bakhtiari missed all of 2021-22 recovering from a torn ACL and was sidelined for six games last year. Expecting an iron-man, 17-game effort might be a bit unreasonable to ask, but the former All-Pro is an invaluable presence in the trenches by just playing the majority of the season. Just ask Aaron Rodgers.

Some fans likely have their panic alarms on when it comes to the 32-year-old, as he has dropped multiple ambiguous comments about his future in Green Bay. But when David Bakhtiari takes the field, new quarterback Jordan Love and opposing linemen should expect top-level pass blocking. That is the only thing Cheeseheads need to focus on right now.