GREEN BAY, Wis. – At least it's not Bryan Bulaga's knees again.
The Green Bay Packers starting right tackle left practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury, leaving his status for the remainder of the preseason up in the air.
Bulaga was able to walk off under his own power but with a noticeable limp after he got hurt halfway through the 2-hour and 38-minute practice -- the second-to-last workout of the preseason.
The eighth-year pro missed all of the 2013 season with a left knee injury after he tore his ACL in a preseason scrimmage. He then missed one game the next year with an MCL sprain in the same knee. In 2015, he missed three games after he tore the meniscus in that same knee and underwent surgery. He also missed one game that season because of an ankle injury.
Last season marked the first time Bulaga played in all 16 regular-season games since his rookie year (2010).
Second-year pro Kyle Murphy took the first reps in Bulaga's place with the No. 1 offensive line. Fellow second-year pro Jason Spriggs also worked there as well, but at this point it would appear that Murphy would get the call if Bulaga can't play in Saturday's preseason game at Denver.
Murphy, a sixth-round pick last year, earned praise before practice from coach Mike McCarthy.
“I think Kyle's having a heck of a camp,” McCarthy said Wednesday before Bulaga went down.
Meanwhile, Spriggs is coming off perhaps the worst performance of his short career in last Saturday's preseason game at Washington. At left tackle behind starter David Bakhtiari, the second-round pick last year had a hand in allowing as many as three sacks.
Spriggs is still likely the top backup at left tackle, but it doesn't appear the Packers are ready to make him the top replacement at both sides.
“It's always different to flip sides,” Spriggs said. “I've talked to a couple of guys, when you're flipping sides, you're used to one thing, and you're basically changing all of your fundamentals to different feet, different hands, so it just feels awkward almost, the first couple of reps. It's something that you get used to and you get used to quick in this situation.”
Murphy is probably best suited to play right tackle, although he's taken some snaps at guard this summer as well.
“I don't want to pigeonhole myself as a ‘best spot,' really,” Murphy said. “Since I got in Green Bay, I'd say it's where I've taken 90 percent of my reps, so I'd say I'm probably the most effective there right now, just out of a comfort level and working with our right guards and being in that stance. When I get thrown in at right guard, left guard, left tackle every now and then, I still feel comfortable. It always takes one or two reps to get back in the swing of things but, when it comes down to it, fundamentals are fundamentals and offensive line is offensive line.”
Bulaga's injury is the first to one of the Packers' projected starting offensive linemen this camp. The same group -- Bakhtiari, Bulaga, right guard Jahri Evans, center Corey Linsley, left guard Lane Taylor -- has taken the majority of the starter's snaps together over the last month.