The Green Bay Packers believed that starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga was ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL and could be ready for the start of the regular season. And it looks as if they’re right on the money with their assessment.
Bulaga has now been taken off the physically unable to perform list and is cleared to practice with the team, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
“He just passed his physical today, so Bryan Bulaga will practice in a limited-return mode,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “I know he's excited about the news that he got this morning from Dr. [Pat] McKenzie.”
It’s been an amazingly quick recovery from Bulaga, who is just nine months removed from suffering that torn ACL. Now that he’s been cleared to practice, he’ll have ample time to prepare for the season opener against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 9.
Bulaga, 29, has been a critical part of the Packers’ offensive line since his arrival in 2010. He’s started 81 out of the 85 games he’s played over his seven-year career in Green Bay.
There’s some doubt as to Bulaga’s long-term future with the team, though. He’s only got two years left on his current deal, and given his advancing age and two torn ACLs, it remains to be seen what the Packers will do with him.
But if Bulaga can have a bounce-back season in 2018 coming off a torn ACL, he could convince the Packers that he still has a lot left in the tank.
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