David Bakhtiari Likely Out For Season; Packers LT Not Contemplating Retirement
The latest batch of knee trouble David Bakhtiari is experiencing sent him to IR on Thursday. The Packers are not expecting a near-future return.
Bakhtiari is unlikely to come back this season, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who reports the 11th-year veteran has undergone another knee surgery. Already undergoing three knee procedures to address the knee injury that sidetracked his career, Bakhtiari added an arthroscopic procedure to the list this week. Another surgery is scheduled as well.
The ensuing operation is expected to occur within a few weeks, and while this recurring problem has threatened to take the All-Pro out for another season, Rapoport adds Bakhtiari is aiming to be ready for the 2024 season. Despite the knee trouble effectively taking over Bakhtiari’s career since that New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear, he is not planning to retire as a result of this latest setback.
Since the initial injury, Bakhtiari has missed 25 regular-season games and three Packers playoff tilts. He experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee before Week 2, leading to the surgery that is on track to make this a second one-game Bakhtiari season for the second time in three years. The four-time Pro Bowler played only one game during the 2021 campaign, making a return for a meaningless Week 18 contest. Playing in that game led to Bakhtiari missing the ensuing divisional-round matchup, and last season did not bring a return to full strength.
Aaron Rodgers‘ final Green Bay season came with Bakhtiari missing six games. While an appendectomy limited the accomplished blocker as well, the knee trouble recurred. The 32-year-old tackle expressed optimism this offseason; that turned out to be misleading.
This will obviously deal a blow to a Packers O-line that remains without Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins, who is recovering from an MCL sprain. While Jenkins has not been placed on IR, he has already missed three games as a result of his latest round of knee trouble. Jenkins battled back from the ACL tear that shut him down in November 2021, returning to form and signing a lucrative extension late last season. Bakhtiari has not been as fortunate.
These recurring issues aside, Bakhtiari has done quite well contractually. Weeks before his ACL tear, the 2013 fourth-round pick inked his second Packers extension — a then-record-setting four-year, $92MM accord. That contract runs through the 2024 season. With Bakhtiari tied to a $20.2MM base salary and a $40.6MM cap hit, he will not return to the Packers without a contract adjustment. Green Bay could split up his $19MM dead-money hit by using a post-June 1 cut designation, though a pay reduction could conceivably extend the parties’ relationship.
Even with knee pain limiting him last season, Bakhtiari graded second in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s 12th-best tackle in 2022. The Packers have primarily turned to 2022 seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker in Bakhtiari’s place this year. Jenkins filled in for Bakhtiari in 2021, but the team moved him back to guard last season. Green Bay’s O-line struggled to protect Jordan Love in a two-score loss to Detroit on Thursday night, and although Jenkins’ return will certainly help, Bakhtiari will again be difficult to replace.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/23
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: LB Devin Harper
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: TE Darrell Daniels
- Promoted: OT Connor Galvin, S Brandon Joseph
- Placed on IR: OT Matt Nelson (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to active roster: LB Kristian Welch
- Promoted: CB Corey Ballentine, CB Kiondre Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: LB Jon Rhattigan
- Waived: WR Cody Thompson
The Cowboys are moving on from Devin Harper after two seasons. The 2022 sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma State ultimately got into six games during his time in Dallas, collecting three tackles while mostly playing on special teams.
The Seahawks are down to four wide receivers on their active roster after they moved on from Cody Thompson today. The Toledo product spent much of the past three seasons in Seattle, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
Packers Place LT David Bakhtiari On IR
Still dealing with knee trouble, David Bakhtiari will return to injured reserve. The Packers will be without their All-Pro blind-sider for at least four games, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report. The Packers have since announced the IR placement.
Bakhtiari has not played since Week 1. Because this transaction is taking place before Green Bay’s Week 4 game, Bakhtiari would be eligible to return in Week 8. But it is far from a lock he will be able to do so, with Rapoport indicating the 11th-year veteran may need more time to come back this year — if, in fact, a return is in the cards.
Bakhtiari, who will turn 32 on Saturday, has undergone three knee surgeries since his New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear. That injury effectively threw the highly paid blocker’s career off course. He only returned for a handful of snaps during the 2021 season and missed six games last year, though an appendectomy contributed to his 2022 missed-games ledger. Prior to the seminal 2020 setback — one that played a significant role in the Packers’ Super Bowl LV push falling just short — Bakhtiari had never missed more than four games in a season.
Matt LaFleur said Bakhtiari experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee before Week 2. The fifth-year Green Bay HC had previously declined to comment on Bakhtiari playing on FieldTurf; the veteran has been a vocal opponent of the surface. But Bakhtiari also missed the Packers’ home opener at Lambeau Field, putting to rest the speculation his Week 2 absence was field surface-related.
It is safe to say Bakhtiari’s career is now at a crossroads. The Packers are certainly a better team when the four-time Pro Bowler is available, but this is the third season in which knee trouble will lead to a lengthy absence. The Packers are also down Elgton Jenkins to a knee injury. Jenkins joined Bakhtiari in missing much of the 2021 season, having suffered an ACL tear himself. But Jenkins recovered from his severe injury on time and has since signed a lucrative Packers extension. Jenkins has been out since suffering an MCL sprain in Week 1. The fifth-year guard does not expect this injury to force an IR stint, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes.
Rasheed Walker has primarily replaced Bakhtiari at left tackle. While the Packers were able to get by without both Bakhtiari and Jenkins en route to home-field advantage in 2021, Aaron Rodgers being in MVP form propped up that effort. Jordan Love being without his best two O-linemen will obviously hinder the cause early in his starter run, though the Rodgers successor managed to eke out a shorthanded win over the Saints last week.
The Packers are also expected to have two of their skill-position pillars back against the Lions tonight. Aaron Jones is set to return from his hamstring injury, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds Christian Watson is on track to make his season debut after missing three weeks due to a hamstring ailment.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23
Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: DL Ben Stille
- Placed on IR: DL Carlos Watkins
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: DL Timmy Horne, OL Tyler Vrabel
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: OLB Jeremiah Moon
- Elevated: RB Melvin Gordon, RB Kenyan Drake
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: CB Dicaprio Bootle, QB Jake Luton
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DL Daniel Hardy, S A.J. Thomas
- Placed on IR: LB Khalid Kareem
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: T Ty Nsekhe
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: CB C.J. Goodwin
- Elevated: C Sean Harlow, C Brock Hoffman
- Placed on IR: CB Trevon Diggs (story)
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: RB Dwayne Washington
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: S Brandon Joseph, OL Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: CB Corey Ballentine, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Elevated: DT Khalil Davis, T Austin Deculus
- Placed on IR: CB Derek Stingley Jr. (story)
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: G Ike Boettger, WR Juwann Winfree
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: WR Jacob Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: LB Cole Christiansen, WR Montrell Washington
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DE Isaac Rochell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: OL Zack Bailey
- Elevated: S Dean Marlowe
- Waived: S A.J. Finley
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: WR Robbie Chosen, LB Cameron Goode
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: WR Trishton Jackson
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: S Jonathan Abram, CB Cameron Dantzler
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
- Elevated: OL Chris Glaser
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: RB Qadree Ollison
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: LB Jon Rhattigan, S Teez Tabor
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: DL Jaleel Johnson, OL Justin Murray
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: FB Alex Armah
Bills LB Christian Kirksey To Retire
Just before the season, Christian Kirksey ventured to Buffalo on a practice squad agreement. The veteran linebacker prioritized signing with a contender, upon not making the Texans’ 53-man roster. But he does not plan to stay on with the Bills.
Instead, the 10th-year vet has informed the team he plans to retire, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. Kirksey, 31, spent time with the Browns, Packers and Texans before coming to Buffalo. Prior to this season, the former third-round pick had been a regular starter in each of his previous nine seasons. The Bills have since announced Kirksey’s retirement plan.
To fill Kirksey’s spot on the practice squad, Garafolo adds the Bills are planning to bring back A.J. Klein. The off-and-on Bills regular was with the team during training camp. Klein re-signed with the Bills in April but was among the vested veterans not to make the team’s 53-man roster in August. The 11th-year veteran has remained in free agency since that cut.
Chosen by the Browns during what became an infamous draft for the team, Kirksey ended up a long-term starter for the downtrodden franchise. After selecting first-round busts Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel, the Browns did very well on Day 2 of the 2014 draft. They added Joel Bitonio in Round 2 and Kirksey in Round 3, taking the Iowa linebacker at No. 71 overall. Bitonio has become one of the Browns’ best players since the 1999 reboot, while Kirksey became a six-year starter for the team.
Kirksey’s post-Cleveland tenure provided a bounce-back effort after injuries sidetracked him as the 2010s wound down. After the Browns released him in 2020, Kirksey wound up with the Packers and started for a team that reached the NFC championship game. The Packers also released Kirksey, however, leading him to the Texans as one of the many veterans to stop through Houston on short-term accords during Nick Caserio‘s GM tenure. Kirksey spent the past two years in Houston, starting 29 games with the rebuilding team. After signing an extension to stay with the Texans in 2022, he started all 17 games and posted a 124-tackle, three-sack, two-interception season.
Excepting his 2020 Green Bay cameo, Kirksey did his best work for struggling teams. The off-ball ‘backer notched a career-high 148 tackles (11 for loss) during the Browns’ 1-15 season in 2016, earning a four-year, $38MM extension during the 2017 offseason. Cleveland then completed the NFL’s second 0-16 season, doing so despite rostering the likes of Bitonio, Kirksey, Joe Thomas and well-paid ILB Jamie Collins. The Browns cut bait on Kirksey’s deal with two years remaining, and he never came especially close to securing that kind of cash again. Still, Kirksey will leave the game having made more than $37MM.
Offering intermittent sack production despite his place on teams’ defensive second levels, Kirksey finishes his career with 16.5 sacks and 45 tackles for loss. He produced three 100-plus-tackle seasons.
Packers G Elgton Jenkins Suffers MCL Sprain
SEPTEMBER 18: When speaking to the media, Jenkins confirmed he has indeed suffered an MCL sprain. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes the 27-year-old is wearing a brace on his left knee, though Jenkins expressed optimism he will be able to return at some point this season. In spite of that, an IR stint is likely in his case as the Packers continue to battle injury troubles with their top O-linemen.
SEPTEMBER 17: The injury woes for the left side of the Packers’ offensive line continued today. With left tackle David Bakhtiari already out for the game under an injury report label of “not injury related – rest,” Green Bay also needed to rely today on a backup at left guard, as well, after Elgton Jenkins left the game with a knee injury. 
Jenkins was injured on a running play during which bruising running back A.J. Dillon crashed into the outside of Jenkins’ leg on his way to the ground. Jenkins had to leave the game and failed to make a return during the contest. The Packers don’t quite fear the worst for the ligament at the moment as, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team believes he has suffered an MCL sprain.
If Jenkins is forced to miss some extended time, it won’t be the first time he has had to do so. The year after his first Pro Bowl season, Jenkins missed the final six games of the year with a torn ACL. He made a strong return the following season, though, starting 15 games and returning to the Pro Bowl, earning himself a four-year, $68MM contract extension.
When Jenkins exited the game today, backup guard Royce Newman subbed in and took his place. Newman does have experience starting for the Packers. As a fourth-round rookie in 2021, Newman started all but one game of the season at right guard. He didn’t quite retain his full-time starting gig in 2022 with Jenkins and Jon Runyan manning the guard spots once again, but Newman did find his way into the starting lineup in six games last year.
Newman has never graded out as an elite lineman, but the Packers will likely be satisfied to have an experienced starter in place until they know the severity of Jenkins’ knee sprain. MCL sprain recoveries can span from as little as three weeks to as many as 12 or more, depending on the severity. Jenkins will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine that severity and give the team a better idea of where they stand for the next stretch of the season.
Green Bay will hope to see their newly paid guard back out on the field soon, alongside Bakhtiari. In the meantime, the Packers will continue to rely on the likes of Newman and Bakhtiari’s backup, Rasheed Walker.
Jets’ First- And Second-Round Picks In “Escrow”
The Packers are destined to eventually receive a second-round pick from the Jets following Aaron Rodgers‘ season-ending injury. However, thanks to some specific language in the trade agreement, New York’s first-round pick will likely be locked until the end of the 2023 season.
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Does Not Close Door On In-Season Return]
As sources explained to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, “conditions of the trade have not yet been met.” Specifically, the Packers sought and were granted terms that would protect them in the unlikely event that Rodgers was released or traded by New York. This condition technically can’t be determined until the end of the 2023 campaign, thus putting both the Jets’ 2024 first- and second-round picks in “escrow.”
The original trade terms required Rodgers to play in at least 65 percent of New York’s offensive snaps in order for the Packers to receive a 2024 first-round pick. The teams could have accounted for a season-ending injury in the trade terms, but the Packers were preparing for the Jets’ worst-case scenario.
As Jones observes, Green Bay’s request likely stems from the organization’s previous QB trade with the Jets. When the Packers traded Brett Favre to New York, the team thought they were also preventing the quarterback from eventually landing in the NFC North. Specifically, Green Bay included a clause that would have forced the Jets to give up three first-round picks if they dealt Favre to an NFC North team.
Favre briefly retired after only one season in New York, and the Jets ended up cutting him during the offseason. He was later scooped up by the Vikings, and since a free agent hypothetical wasn’t included in the trade terms, the Packers didn’t receive any compensation. As Jones notes, the NFL abolished these “poison pill” provisions in the 2011 CBA. The organization’s most-recent tactic fit under the league’s current rules, and while the terms would have done little to ultimately impact the compensation, the provision is still having an impact on New York’s trade ability.
The league doesn’t allow teams to trade future selections that aren’t under their full control. As Jones notes, the Jets could only trade their first-round selection if they add a condition on top of the current Packers’ restrictions. The Jets could also approach the Packers about revising the original terms of the deal.
Of course, considering how deep the Jets’ roster is, the only scenario where the Jets would even consider trading their 2024 first-round pick would be if a franchise-altering QB became available. The team sounds committed to Zach Wilson for the 2023 campaign, and Rodgers has left the door open for a 2024 comeback (or even a 2023 return). Still, it’s an important situation to watch when the trade market soon heats up.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/23
Today’s callups and adjustments heading into Week 2:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike, LB Andre Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Melvin Gordon, C Sam Mustipher
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: T Aviante Collins
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB C.J. Goodwin, C Brock Hoffman
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: CB Chase Lucas
- Promoted from practice squad: G Kayode Awosika
- Placed on IR: CB Khalil Dorsey, DE Josh Paschal
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: G Michael Deiter
- Promoted from practice squad: T Austin Deculus, S DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Waived: DE Derek Rivers
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: G Arlington Hambright, WR Juwann Winfree
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: CB Gregory Junior
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated: DT Chris Jones (story)
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Matt Dickerson, RB La’Mical Perine
- Waived: CB Darius Rush
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Isaac Rochell
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Royce Freeman, WR Austin Trammell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: DT Da’Shawn Hand
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Cameron Goode, DE Chase Winovich
- Waived: S Verone McKinley III
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Calvin Munson, WR Jalen Reagor
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Taiwan Jones, OLB Oshane Ximines
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Artie Burns, LB Jon Rhattigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Pat O’Connor, LB J.J. Russell
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Eric Garror, DT Kyle Peko
Packers LB Rashan Gary Open To Extension
Packers linebacker Rashan Gary tore his ACL in November, and that ended up delaying whatever chance he had at earning an extension. The former 12th-overall pick is now playing on his fifth-year option, and Gary acknowledged to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that he’d be open to signing an extension now or after the season.
Gary made his return to the field in Week 1, and while the linebacker is certainly aware of his impending free agency, he’s more focused on regaining his old form.
“I’ve just been going through my rehab process and just trying to get back and focus on me,” said Gary
Gary remains on a pitch count for the Packers. He was limited to only 12 defensive snaps in Week 1, but he was still plenty productive; ESPN Stats & Information listed Gary with three pressures on seven pass-rush attempts. Demovsky writes that Gary should see an increase in snaps tomorrow against the Falcons, but the linebacker will continue to be on a pitch count.
“I felt I could’ve seen a lot of things just a little quicker,” Gary said of his season debut. “But for my first game back in live action, what I needed to feel, what I needed to see, I felt like I did.”
It took a few seasons for Gary to justify his draft investment, but he broke out in 2021 when he finished with 9.5 sacks and 28 QB hits. He looked like he was taking another step forward in 2022, collecting six sacks in nine games. Then the linebacker suffered a torn ACL in November, and instead of earning a big-money deal, he’ll be playing the 2023 campaign on a $10.89MM salary.
Gary probably has a long way to go to catch up to Nick Bosa‘s record-breaking $170MM deal with the 49ers, but the Packers defender could be in line for a significant pay day next offseason if he’s productive in 2023.
OL Notes: Vikings, Bengals, Pats, Nijman
Garrett Bradbury suffered a back injury last season, and the Vikings center saw his absence extended after he aggravated the malady in a car accident. Bradbury missed the Vikings’ final five regular-season games but returned for the team’s wild-card loss. The Vikings circled back to the former first-round pick in March, re-signing him to a three-year, $15.75MM deal. That contract becomes a pay-as-you go accord after 2023, and Bradbury has run into familiar trouble. The Vikings ruled out the fifth-year center for their Thursday-night game in Philadelphia due to a back injury.
“We felt positive about him, and he’s done everything and had no issues whatsoever through a pretty physical training camp for us to feel really good about it,” Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) of Bradbury’s back issue. “It’s just how this game goes sometimes, and he’s a tough guy, big part of the interior of our offensive line and we’ll hope to get him back as soon as we can.”
Austin Schlottmann, who returned last week after a broken leg ended his 2022 season, is set to start at center against the Eagles. Here is the latest from the O-line landscape:
- The Bengals completed an unexpected transaction this week, releasing La’el Collins from the reserve/PUP list. The team had given Collins a three-year, $21MM deal to step in at right tackle, which he did for 15 games. But ACL and MCL tears ended his 2022 season in Week 16 and prevented him from starting this season on time. The Bengals have Jonah Williams at right tackle opposite big-ticket UFA addition Orlando Brown Jr., but Jackson Carman — who replaced Williams at LT in the playoffs last season — is not the top backup any longer. D’Ante Smith, a 2021 fourth-round pick, is positioned as Cincinnati’s swing tackle now, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Carman has started two playoff games but lost three position battles in his three training camps. Viewed as a project coming out of East Carolina, Smith has played 56 career offensive snaps.
- Reliability questions surrounded the Patriots‘ offensive line, and the team responded accordingly when setting its 53-man roster. Before Riley Reiff ended up on IR, the Patriots submitted an initial 53 with 11 O-linemen. No other team’s first 53 included that many, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes. Only seven teams kept 10 blockers, though that is where New England’s contingent stands after the Reiff move. The Pats needed to use this depth early. Calvin Anderson, who came off the Pats’ reserve/non-football illness list late in the preseason, started at right tackle in Week 1. Guards Cole Strange and Michael Onwenu were out, moving fourth- and fifth-round rookies — Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi — into the lineup. Onwenu and Strange have each logged two limited practices this week, though both Sow and left tackle Trent Brown suffered concussions in the opener, leaving their Week 2 statuses in doubt.
- The Commanders, Packers and Vikings each restructured an O-line deal recently. Washington created $6MM in cap space by moving $7.5MM of Charles Leno‘s base salary into a signing bonus and adding three void years, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Green Bay topped that by adding four void years to Yosh Nijman‘s deal, creating $2.54MM in cap space, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. This proves interesting due to Nijman being on a second-round RFA tender; he is due to be a 2024 free agent. Minnesota added $9.99MM in space by restructuring Brian O’Neill‘s contract, per Yates.