The Green Bay Packers may only be 6-6, but for a team that was 2-5 at one point, hopes are high and the positivity surrounding the team is immaculate. Going forward, the Packers face five teams that have records of .500 or worse. If they win out or go 4-1 in those games, there is a very good chance that they could make the NFL Playoffs.
Of course, they are not looking that far ahead. As a .500 football team themselves, the best they can do is focus on the team that will be opposite of them in any given week. That does not mean, though, that some players are not looking ahead.
Unfortunately for the Packers, they have dealt with a plethora of terrible injuries since before the season began. Special teams ace and veteran tight end Tyler Davis tore his ACL in the preseason and has been out for the year. David Bakhtiari played an exceptional game in Week One against the Chicago Bears, but his knee was injured and required several more surgeries.
Aaron Jones, Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes, Rudy Ford, De’Vondre Campbell, and Luke Musgrave all have missed and/or will continue to miss substantial time with their own injuries.
David Bakhtiari’s Future with the Green Bay Packers Has Been Called into Question
Perhaps the most noteworthy of these injured players is Bakhtiari, whose torn ACL on New Year’s Eve in 2020 may have cost the Packers a trip to the Super Bowl. He was out for the whole year in 2021 (save a few snaps in Week 17) and played just 11 games in 2022.
Due to his large cap figure in 2024, the final year of his contract, many fans and analysts have assumed that Green Bay will cut him and save $19 million. That, however, does not seem to be in Bakhtiari’s plans.
David Bakhtiari Plans to Play for the Green Bay Packers in 2024
The fact of the matter is that the Packers seem to have found their next franchise quarterback in Jordan Love. It also appears that the young wide receivers that he has around him are going to turn out to be fairly special players as well. The next job for the organization, then, is to make sure he is adequately protected.
When Bakhtiari was on the field in Week One, he proved that he is still one of the best left tackles in the NFL. In his absence, neither Rasheed Walker nor Yosh Nijman have been able to grab a permanent hold of the position.
As such, it appears that Green Bay may not move forward with either at the position. Nijman is going to be a free agent anyway, and Walker may need a little more seasoning. Who better to learn under than one of the best tackles in Packers history?
And that certainly appears to be Bakhtiari’s plan:
That’s the plan!
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) December 4, 2023
As seen above, Bakhtiari responds to a X user asking him to come back next year to help take the Packers to the next level by saying, “That’s the plan!”
Now, the five-time Pro Bowler does have a $40 million cap it next year. If he does indeed come back, it may be on a new deal or an extension that kicks part of that hit into future seasons.
Regardless of how the Packers do it, there is no better guardian of Love’s blindside than a healthy Bakhtiari. If he is finally 100%, or as close to it as he can get, they would be wise to keep him.
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1 Comment
If he “is finally 100%’ has been the problem for the past 5 years…