Bulaga Likely To Get First Start

The Bryan Bulaga era starts… Sunday… probably.

The Green Bay Packers are likely to be without right tackle Mark Tauscher, who is battling a shoulder injury, on Sunday. Bedard — who for the rest of his Packers’ tenure will only be referred to by a single name, like Madonna — says the rookie will get the starting nod if Tauscher can’t go.

Tauscher hasn’t practiced this week and is unlikely to do so today, meaning Bulaga should finally get his first NFL start.

There was some question as to whether it would be the Packers’ first-round draft choice or Tauscher’s primary backup, T.J. Lang, manning the position, but the Packers obviously want to get Bulaga on the field.

Although Bulaga has primarily played left tackle and left guard thus far, he is clearly one of the team’s six best linemen. In fact, I’d suggest he’s probably one of their three best, but Packers coach Mike McCarthy obviously has a sentimental attachment to old-timers like Chad Clifton and Tauscher.

Lang, who was once considered the obvious heir apparent to Tauscher, seems to have fallen out of favor. His play was less than spectacular during the preseason, after coming back from a broken wrist he suffered in the offseason, and he’s been inactive for each of the Packers’ first four games.

Bulaga, meanwhile, could be getting quite a bit of playing time. Tauscher’s injury could keep him out for an extended period.

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