Green Bay Packers Icon Gets 100% Real About NFL Future
After spending his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, David Bakhtiari now finds himself without a team for the upcoming season. The offensive tackle has expressed his desire to continue playing in the NFL.
Bakhtiari was selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft and quickly made an impact as the starting left tackle. Despite facing challenges, including a season-ending injury to the previous starter, Bakhtiari’s consistent performance and impressive rookie season were instrumental in helping the Packers’ offense succeed.
Over the subsequent years, Bakhtiari solidified his position with the Packers, earning a lucrative contract extension in 2016 and another historic deal in 2020 that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league. His excellence was recognized with a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 and a first-team All-Pro nod.
However, his career has been plagued by persistent injuries. He missed significant time in 2020 and 2021 due to a torn ACL, and in 2022, he underwent an emergency appendectomy. Most recently, he was placed on injured reserve in 2023 and will miss the entire season due to knee surgery.
After 11 seasons with the Packers, Bakhtiari’s time in Green Bay has come to an end, as he was released in March 2024. His tenure was marked by exceptional performance and resilience, but also by the injury setbacks that ultimately curtailed his career as one of the NFL’s premier left tackles.
Former Green Bay Packers Star Gets Real About His Future in the NFL.
Despite not being signed for the upcoming season, David Bakhtiari remains optimistic about his NFL career. The former Packers star shared his thoughts in an article posted on ESPN.
“My goal right now is just to make sure that I not only fully recover but I can withstand and play the game that I want to play but also play and be there for a team no matter what,” Bakhtiari said. “I’m not a reliever guy, I am your cornerstone guy. Someone that’s not only going to play in September but in December and into February and obviously hopefully for another couple of years.”
Before knee issues plagued his last three seasons with the Packers, Bakhtiari was a two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection.
“I don’t like other people writing my story … I couldn’t just put a period, close the book and leave it,” Bakhtiari said he recently told Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. “… I just got to kind of remind people. People have kind of forgotten the kind of player I was, the kind of player I am,” ESPN reported.
Bakhtiari, 32, is currently weighing his options as a free agent after being released by the Packers. While teams have shown interest, he is focusing on a full recovery and aims to join a team before training camp or during the preseason.
Whether Bakhtiari will sign a new contract or remain unsigned when the new season starts is yet to be seen. In any case, the former Packers star will likely need to prove he can stay healthy long enough to make a significant contribution.
