In the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers starting left tackle and Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins went down in a heap in pass protection and left the game on a cart.
It was confirmed Monday morning that Jenkins had suffered a torn ACL in his left knee.
This is the second year in a row that the Packers have lost their starting left tackle to a torn ACL, with David Bakhtiari having torn his near the end of last season. Bakhtiari is getting closer to a return, but there still isn't a confirmed return date set. With Jenkins now out for the rest of the 2021 season, getting Bakhtiari back at LT just became all the more important for Green Bay.
Yosh Nijman filled in for the rest of the game at LT and he figures to get the playing time over there until Bakhtiari is ready to return.
It's a tough blow for a Packers offensive line and a Packers team that has dealt with a number of injuries to key players this year.
The torn ACL could put Jenkins' 2022 season in jeopardy as well. While most ACL recoveries can be made in as little as 9 months, offensive linemen have a little longer to go usually to return to game action given the nature of their position.
Jenkins is one of the Packers most talented offensive lineman, capable of playing any position on the line and playing it well. This is a big blow.