Former Green Bay Packers All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari isn’t ready to call it quits on his stellar pro football career just yet.
As many expected, the Packers officially released the 32-year-old Bakhtiari from his contract in a cap-saving move last week. In releasing Bakthiari, Green Bay saved just over $20 million against the cap.
There has been speculation that Bakhtiari may be ready to call it quits after missing all but one game in 2023. That apparently is not the case, however.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Bakhtiari continues to rehab and remains “focused on returning to play this coming season.”
Bakhtiari, who turns 33 in September, was on a Hall of Fame trajectory until injuries began to unfortunately pile up. He suffered a torn ACL late in the 2020 season, and Bakhtiari’s absence was clearly felt in the Packers’ heartbreaking NFC Championship Game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bakhtiari returned late in the 2021 season to play one game, but he didn’t play in the club’s Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He suited up for 11 games in 2022 but was again limited to just a single game in 2023 because of a knee injury.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The former 2013 fourth-round draft pick broke out in the 2016 season, earning his first career Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro nod. The three-time Pro Bowler has been named an All-Pro five times — two First-team and three Second-team selections.
A Healthy David Bakhtiari Can Still Make A Difference Somewhere
Though injuries have limited David Bakhtiari to 25 total games over the last four years, he remains a rock-solid pass blocker when on the field.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bakhtiari did not allow a single sack in the limited action he saw over the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. And on 758 snaps in the 2020 season, Bakhtiari allowed only one sack
So any team in need of extra offensive line help may as well take a chance on Bakhtiari. If he can find a way to stay healthy, the former Pro Bowler could regain his star-like form and make a significant change on a team’s o-line.
Also Read: Simone Biles Breaks Her Silence After Husband Leaves Packers To Sign With Rival Team
