David Bakhtiari‘s time with the Packers is almost definitely winding down. Post-Aaron Rodgers and Mason Crosby, the 2013 draftee is the team’s longest-tenured player. But the knee injury sustained in a late-season practice in 2020 sidetracked the All-Pro’s career.
That seminal setback has led to five surgeries on the same knee; counting playoff opportunities, Bakhtiari has missed 45 games since the December 2020 injury. He was on the field for one contest last season, and although the longtime Green Bay left tackle did not put retirement in play when he went down last season, he will soon no longer be attached to the lucrative extension signed midway through the 2020 campaign.
The Packers are expected to release Bakhtiari soon, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes (subscription required). Labeling the matter a formality, the Green Bay Press Gazette’s Ryan Wood also points to this release transpiring.
The Packers can save nearly $21MM by cutting the 11-year veteran. He is set to count a team-high $40MM against the Packers’ cap this year. One season remains on Bakhtiari’s contract. None of his remaining salary is guaranteed, though the Packers have more than $19MM in deferred signing bonus set to represent dead money if/when the former fourth-round pick is cut.
Prior to Bakhtiari going down with the ACL tear, the Packers gave him a four-year, $92MM extension. That deal came to pass six weeks before the injury, representing important timing on Bakhtiari’s part. While both the tackles who signed record-setting extensions during that 2020 season — Bakhtiari, Ronnie Stanley — have run into recurring injury trouble since, the elder of the two blockers has been unable to string together a steady batch of starts since going down.
A reasonable “what if?” exists surrounding Bakhtiari’s injury. The Packers obtained the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2020 but saw Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul tee off on their tackles in a narrow NFC championship game loss. The Barrett-JPP second-half sack spree protected Tom Brady, who threw three second-half INTs in the narrow Buccaneers win. While it is reasonable to suggest the Packers venture to Super Bowl LV if Bakhtiari was available, that quickly devolved into a missed opportunity. By the point the five-time All-Pro was ready to play regularly again, the Packers were no longer at that level. They finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs during the 2022 slate, which featured 11 Bakhtiari outings.
Bakhtiari played well when on the field in 2022, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 overall tackle. More knee trouble and an appendectomy sidelined him for six contests that season, which came after a 2021 campaign included only 27 Bakhtiari snaps. Last season, the 32-year-old blocker played in Week 1 but soon needed the above-referenced fifth knee procedure. Matt LaFleur said Bakhtiari experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee before Week 2, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky indicates training camp remains the goal for the injury-prone veteran.
After Elgton Jenkins suffered a torn ACL when filling in for Bakhtiari at left tackle in 2021, the team settled on seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker as the veteran’s primary replacement last season. The 2022 draftee made 15 starts and was the team’s blind-sider in both playoff games. Barring an offseason upgrade effort, Walker would go into the ’24 season as one of the many rookie-contract starters on Green Bay’s offense.
As for Bakhtiari, the Jets being the team to give him a bounce-back opportunity seems logical. Rodgers wields considerable influence with the AFC East club, and the four-time MVP has been connected to wanting to bring his longtime LT to the Big Apple. The Jets would probably prefer a more stable option, given Mekhi Becton‘s injury-plagued tenure. The team is not viewed as overly interested in re-signing Becton, however, and Rodgers certainly drove personnel moves last year. It will be interesting to see if Rodgers pushes hard for the Jets to sign Bakhtiari at a significantly reduced rate — compared to his Packers deal, at least — once his Wisconsin tenure wraps.
Yep, go to NY and ride the IR with your boy Rodgers.
Finally!!!!! About 4 seasons too late….
Probably went straight to the airport and caught the next flight to New York
Bakhtari may not like it, but he will probably be best served starting the season as a swing tackle. He may stretch out his career in limited action.
that would be a good move for the Jets if he’s willing to take swing money
Go ahead Jets sign him! Make Ms.Rodgers happy. Sign yet another broken down injury riddled player from the packers who’s past his prime, and at the end of the coming season let us know how that worked out for you lol
It would still be an upgrade over who we ran out there last year lol
how? love Bahtiari and his personality but the guy has played barely 30% of games since he got his contact. no gurantee he pays at all next year.
Came to say he’ll be a jet but everyone’s all over that lol
Gute about to be petty and send him to guam witha 4th rounder for nothing
Consider the Jets signing him as done. What Karen Rogers wants, Karen Rogers gets
“threw three second-half INTs in the narrow Buccaneers win” was the phrase that stuck out to me in this article. Also in that game, not to mention the last-second first-half TD caught by that soon-to-be HoF WR Scotty Miller, given up by the guy the Packers wanted instead of T. J. Watt.
Lot of rodgers hate here. Weird.
He certainly is
I mean, the list of “weird” NFL players is pretty lengthy.
I think most Packers fans are still annoyed that Green Bay only won one Super Bowl during Rodgers career in spite of how talented he is. They see him as being quite a primadonna for a guy with only one ring. If he had been drafted by a team that even used a few rounders on RB’s & WR’s, things might have been different. Not every late round pick is gonna turn out like Donald Driver. Getting Bakhtiari in the 4th was a steal, he turned out better than Bryan Bulaga, who actually was a first rounder. The Jets can just see him as a bonus prize for picking up Rodgers at this point. They’re actually trying harder than Green Bay did to keep him happy, and that’s part of why he’s loving it up there.
Rodgers is only happy when he is winning. more then enough times seeing him reeming out a coach or player because they are losing. honeymoon will only last so long.
Packers had a top 5 offense in the league multiple times and lost in nfc championships due to the defense. Rodgers always had a top end OL, usually 1-2 solid running backs, and always had top WR(s) except the last year or two. it was never a matter of how good the offense was, it was how bad the defense was that stopped them from winning championships.
Take a few losses with rodgers playing or let him get sacked a few times from that pathetic OL and he will be very vocal about HATING NY. he will be happy though if NY signs Bathiari though, go for it pay him 15m to be hurt.
Never the same after the ACL.
If the Jets snag him; Sauce, Wilson, and other young good to great Jets should demand trades. Why should they waste another year of their career watching Rodgers play w/ his old friends? When 1 player overrides the actual GM and coaching staff, you’re set up to lose; just like last season.
This is nothing…just wait, after 2024, Mike McCarthy will be the Jets’ HC because Aaron said so.
Might be one of the highest paid players in GB Packer history if we used productivity in the same graph. What will fans have to complain about now? Barry gone, Rodger’s gone, Jaire I guess is the next target
Though the Aaron Rodgers fanboys won’t admit it, the Jets aren’t going to trade for Bakhtiari only to have him fail his physical. OL is the Jets’ biggest need this winter but not a lineman with bad knees.
I’d love to see the Packers take a chance on Beckton on the cheap. Take some money from the Bak savings and make sure Nixon doesn’t go anywhere. He isn’t great in coverage but he isn’t a #1 corner either.
There are more money saving options to explore as well this year and with some proper spending this team is right in the mix.