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David Bakhtiari responded after reports emerged of the Green Bay Packers possibly willing to cut him. The All-Pro offensive tackle has been a great performer for Green Bay when he has been on the field but that has been diminishing over the past couple of seasons. He was mostly unavailable in 2023 and there are now rumors that he will be let go.
Now, David Bakhtiari has himself weighed in on the concerns by replying to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, where it was being speculated that the Packers would release him. He said,
"If I get fired because of this, I blame you."
David Bakhtiari contract details
David Bakhtiari was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft and has been an elite presence since. He is a two-time First Team All-Pro and a three-time Second Team All-Pro. He has also made it to three Pro Bowls. None of these selections, though, have come since 2020.
That year is important because that was when the offensive tackle signed a four-year, $92 million contract extension with the Packers on Nov. 14, 2020. $30 million of it came as a signing bonus and was, therefore, guaranteed.
In 2024, he will earn a base salary of $10,700,000, a roster bonus of $9,500,000 and a workout bonus of $700,000. He carries a cap hit of $39,994,925 and a dead cap value of $19,065,514 in the last year of his contract.
Speculation that Packers OT might join the Jets
If the Packers indeed let David Bakhtiari go, the Jets might be an appealing option for him. New York needs urgent reinforcements on their offensive line. The failure to protect Aaron Rodgers led to their new quarterback's Achilles injury in the first game of last season. They will try to do whatever it takes to ensure that does not happen again.
Because the offensive tackle has played with Rodgers in Green Bay, he has familiarity with the style that the Jets will play. On paper, that is an exciting possibility.
However, the fact remains that he has not been fully healthy for some time now and his last Pro Bowl selection was in 2020. Aging players like Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, who also followed Rodgers from the Packers, have not worked out. Therefore, there is no reason to assume that it could. But based on David Bakhtiari's response, he himself is not in a hurry to leave Green Bay anytime soon.
