The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a franchise-altering off-season. The pending Aaron Rodgers trade will see Jordan Love take over the most important position on the team. It turns out there may be more significant changes on the way. Whether it is this off-season or next, the Green Bay Packers could be moving on from one of the longest-tenured Packers on the team.
LT David Bakhtiari Reveals Retirement Is Near
David Bakhtiari, 31, opened up about the mental anguish that came with his recent injury history. He also brought up his thoughts about his future with the Green Bay Packers and the NFL during an appearance on Taylor Lewan and Will Compton’s podcast Bussin’ With The Boys.
“What f—–g sucks more is I’m being stripped of something that I love doing, especially the way I like doing it,” Bakhtiari said on the podcast. “So you talk about my career…I might be on the teens of whatever hole I’m on on my back nine [of my career]…I’m going to enjoy it, whether I’m on this team or I get traded.”
The Green Bay Packers have had one of the more stable offensive line situations in the NFL over the last decade. One of the key anchors of that unit has been Bakhtiari.
Five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari has had a roller coaster of a past few seasons. After signing a record-breaking $92 million extension in November of 2020, he suffered a torn ACL less than two months later just before the start of the team’s playoff run. That injury took him nearly 18 months to fully recover from. However, Bakhtiari returned to his elite self during the majority of the 2022-23 season.
Bakhtiari played in 11 games in 2022 after initially being eased back into a full-time role. He split snaps with Yosh Nijman. It was a smart move as Bakhtiari had barely played since December 2020.
The moment he stepped back on the field, it was like he had never been away. Bakhtiari made up for lost time, shutting down premier pass rushers and keeping Aaron Rodgers upright. As a pass-protector, Bakhtiari was at his All-Pro best. According to ESPN, his 95% pass rush win rate tied for the league lead among tackles. Had he played in a few more games, Bakhtiari could’ve been a strong candidate for NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
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