The former Packers great got some excellent news recently.
Just because he’s no longer in Green Bay, doesn’t mean Packers fans have any less affection for David Bakhtiari. The outstanding offensive lineman was a staple on the Packers’ line for the better part of a decade, piling up three Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections in the process.
Obviously injuries cut his career short, and the team made the difficult decision this offseason to dismiss him back in March. He’s only played in 13 games since injuring his ACL back in 2020, and GM Brian Gutekunst has spent that time making the team’s roster substantially younger than it was near the end of the Aaron Rodgers era.
When Bakhatiari was released, the general belief was that he was done playing in the NFL. But maybe not? According to Ian Rapoport, Bakhatiari’s knees are developing nicely, and that the doctor who’s in charge of his rehabilitation has “proclaimed him on schedule for the 2024 season.”
Former #Packers All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari, who is rehabilitating from knee surgeries, had a great follow-up checkup with expert Dr. Brian Cole, and Cole proclaimed him on target for a 2024 season return.
Cole is the chairman of Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center in… pic.twitter.com/7GtC0pOzSy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 21, 2024
So how does the latest Bakhtiari update impact Packers plans for 2024?
There’s good news and bad news, and they both basically boil down to “it doesn’t.” That’s good news because if the Packers were still seeking for a 32-year old left tackle with a long history of injury difficulties, that’d fall somewhere between a concerning and big issue. It’s not like current left tackle Rasheed Walker is raking in the All-Pro nominations, but he featured in all 17 games last year, starting 15 of them, and wasn’t horrible. For a 24-year old 7th rounder, it was a respectable start.
The bad news is that, I mean, who wouldn’t love to be a bit indulgent and see a healthy Bakhtiari back in Green Bay for one or two more seasons? Especially with how young the rest of the roster is, the Packers would be – in a bizarre way – the perfect team for him to join. But that’s not going to happen, so I’ll quit day dreaming now before it gets too real.
