Packers Have David Bakhtiari Problem, Should Be Very Concerned

First, and foremost, I feel for David Bakhtiari as a person. This article is not an attack on him as a human being. He’s been through the wringer regarding this injury and is doing his best to recover fully. Sometimes, our body is out of our control, and we shouldn’t be blamed for how it’s responding. He’s received far too much heat for this issue, and this article isn’t another one that’s piling on him as a person.

With that said, let’s focus on how his ongoing injury is affecting the Green Bay Packers on the football field.

After rarely practicing during training camp and preseason and not playing in any preseason games, Bakhtiari returned to the football field for the Packers’ season opener against the Chicago Bears. He played 55 snaps and was his usual, elite self, especially in pass protection, where he didn’t allow a pressure in 30 pass-blocking snaps.

The Green Bay Packers have a massive David Bakhtiari problem on their hands and should be very concerned about his injury.

However, he hasn’t played nor practiced since and was already ruled out for Green Bay’s game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night–18 days after his last appearance on the field.

At first, it was thought to be a turf-related issue. Aaron Rodgers had just gone down with a season-ending injury in Week 1, and Green Bay was set to play in Atlanta. Bakhtiari had been vocal about his dislike for turf, and some made the connection to him missing Week 2. Unfortunately, he’s continued to miss time after that despite Week 3 and 4 being played on Lambeau Field.

Head coach Matt LaFleur has gone back and forth with the media about this injury, stating that Bakhtiari is hurt. After some initial disbelief in that statement, it turns out that’s true.

Bakhtiari tore his ACL in practice in December of 2020 and is coming up on the three-year mark of an injury that turned his career for the worse. He was one of the best left tackles in the NFL at that time, and Green Bay had just inked him to a four-year, $92 million deal. As part of that contract, he carries a cap hit of $21.3 million this year and a whopping $40.5 million in 2024. If the Packers want to release him next year, they’ll have to eat $19 million of that salary.

At this point, that might be the best route for Bakhtiari and Green Bay. Since his injury, he’s only played in 13 of a possible 39 games, including Week 4 of this season. He’s excellent when he’s on the field, but Green Bay can’t afford to pay him elite money to be a very part-time player.

There’s no questioning Bakhtiari’s ability when he’s on the field, as he continues to prove he’s one of the best left tackles in the NFL. However, in this case, availability is the best ability, and his availability is severely limited. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but his time in the NFL may be quickly coming to an end.