Not enough cap savings for Packers to justify cutting David Bakhtiari

When it comes to clearing some much-needed cap space via roster cuts, the Green Bay Packers don’t have many significant moves at their disposal. The second largest cap-saving cut that can be made by the Packers is releasing David Bakhtiari. However, there aren’t enough cap savings to be had that would justify the move.

According to Over the Cap, Bakhtiari comes with a massive cap hit of $28.8 million in 2023, a figure that the cap-strapped Packers will have to do something about. But if they were to cut him, $23.1 million would still be on the books in 2023, meaning that Green Bay saves just $5.7 million in cap space this season.

Although for much of the season, Bakhtiari continued to work through issues with his knee, when on the field, he continued to play at a high level. In 339 pass-blocking snaps, Bakhtiari didn’t allow a single sack this season and gave up only 10 pressures. Among all tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric, Bakhtiari ranked seventh in true-pass sets. He also ranked 25th out of 86 eligible tackles in PFF’s zone run-blocking grade.

Bakhtiari will be 32 years old next season, and with all of the time that he has missed since suffering that ACL injury, concern about his availability is valid. However, while his status from week to week through the early and middle portions of the 2022 was very much up in the air, he found a groove with his practice and rehab schedules, and his knee wasn’t much of an issue through the final third of the season. The time missed during that span was due to an appendectomy procedure.

There may not be a guarantee that Bakhtiari is going to play all 17 games next season, but he’s still playing at an elite level, and honestly, even 12 or 13 games of Bakhtiari at left tackle is better than $5 million in additional cap space that will go to a role player.

"“I would hope so,” Brian Gutekunst said via Packers Wire when asked about Bakhtiari coming back for the 2023 season. “I think we’re hopeful that he’s kind of cleared some of those injury hurdles that he had the last few years,” Gutekunst said. “He got into a really good rhythm of learning what he needed to practice to get to the games, and I’m hopeful as we get beyond this season that rhythm will serve him well as we go forward.”"

It’s not as if the Packers don’t have options if they did move on from Bakhtiari. Zach Tom and Yosh Nijman have both proven to be capable left tackles, but Matt LaFleur did say during the season that the playbook is different and has more variety when Bakhtiari is out there because of his ability. Bakhtiari’s return would also create competition at right tackle between Nijman and Tom, as well as bolster the overall depth of the offensive line.

As already mentioned, if he is back, Bakhtiari won’t be playing at his current cap hit–the Packers will have to restructure his contract. Bakhtiari is due a $9.5 million roster bonus that could be converted to a signing bonus with the cap charges spread out over the remaining contract life rather than incurring that total cap hit in 2023. Green Bay could also add voided years to the deal to further spread out those cap hits.

If the Packers were to keep Bakhtiari for 2023, then move on from him in 2024, their cap savings would then be $21.5 million less any additional cap charges pushed beyond 2023.

Between Bakhtiari’s availability over the last two seasons and his massive cap hit in 2023, I get why moving on from him has been a discussion. But between his play and what the actual cap savings are for the Packers, it’s not a worthwhile move. There is way more value in him being a Packer for the 2023 season.