June 19, 2025
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NFL: Packers' Bulaga takes another tough injury hit

By BY JOE

Packers lineman Bryan Bulaga rides his bike to training camp last Friday in Green Bay, Wis. Bulaga will miss the upcoming season with a torn ACL. (AP)

Everything in Bryan Bulaga’s world was pointing up.

Bulaga’s left hip was healed and medical personnel assured him he should not experience long-term effects. He and Abbie Mumpower, whom he has dated since they were students at Iowa, were just married last month in Milwaukee.

And Bulaga was moving from right tackle to left tackle for the Green Bay Packers this season, which happens to be his contract year. Bulaga certainly has never come off as greedy, but left tackle is a glamour position when it’s time to get paid, so heading into his second professional contract, the timing of the move was ideal.

Then, the bad news hit. Bulaga suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s Family Night scrimmage. While he did not leave the field during the scrimmage, reports Monday indicated he likely will miss the season.

The 2007 Marian Central graduate, who grew up in Crystal Lake, was seeking a second opinion from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Joe Bulaga, Bryan’s father, said MRI results were sent to Andrews. But members of the Packers’ medical staff diagnosed an ACL tear.

Bulaga’s most serious injury before this came last season when he suffered a small fracture in his left hip in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals. Bulaga, now 24, was able to recover without surgery, but missed the rest of the season.

The Packers were not saying a lot Monday, although coach Mike McCarthy is scheduled to speak today.

Bulaga was excited about getting back to full strength and the Packers were moving him and right guard Josh Sitton, who have played together for three season, both to the left side.

Last winter on a visit to Crystal Lake, Bulaga talked about his first extended period away from football because of an injury.

“I’ve been nicked up, but never had to sit out a season,” he said in January. “This is new for me to start nine games and then watch the remainder from the sideline. It’s tough.”

Bulaga also realized how precious each year in football can be after watching long-time veteran linemates Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton retire in the past 2 years. When Bulaga was drafted in 2010, the Packers figured it was to fill Clifton’s spot at left tackle. Clifton, however, reconsidered and returned to football and Bulaga took over five games into his rookie season.

“You kind of know this game doesn’t last forever,” Bulaga said. “There’s only so much your body can take after so many years of pounding from high school to the pro level. It’s all about ‘How you can keep your body healthy as long as possible?’ ”

Bulaga (6-foot-5, 314 pounds) has become one of the NFL’s top tackles and would have been ready for another challenge protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ blind side this season. Now, that appears to be on hold for another year, while either David Bakhtiari and Marshall Newhouse handle the job this season.