The Green Bay Packers were one of the NFL’s most surprise teams last season. After dealing future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, the organization turned the offense over to 2020 NFL Draft pick Jordan Love. While it took some time for the team to gel, a 7-3 record in their final ten games demonstrated that the future was rapidly approaching Green Bay.
While Love and the young offensive skill players were widely praised in the second half of the season (and justifiably so), another player stepped up early in the season to secure the unit’s success. When left tackle David Bakhtiari was sidelined for the season after only one week, 2022 seventh round pick Rasheed Walker took over as the team’s starting left tackle.
Rasheed Walker had an outstanding season for the Green Bay Packers.
Bakhtiari began the season with a bang in the Packers’ Week One victory over the Chicago Bears. He performed admirably and was seen flicking off supporters who booed the squad, waving humorously at fans from the endzone while laying on his side, and looking like the two-time First squad All Pro that he is.
Unfortunately, he would only play one game in 2023. Despite dominating on the field, he reinjured his surgically repaired knee, necessitating more work on it. The Packers replaced him with Walker, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, who started at left tackle.
Walker was probably not the best Bakhtiari, but he was more than adequate. He finished the year with a 74.7 pass blocking grade (per PFF), ranking second on the team behind two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins.
Walker allowed only 26 hurries (less than one per game) on 966 snaps at left tackle, along with four quarterback hits and six sacks.
On Tuesday, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was asked if he believed Walker might be the “LT1” for the 2024 team. He said, “I believe he’s already demonstrated that.”
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst sets a deadline for David Bakhtiari’s decision.
So, where does this leave Bakhtiari? With a salary limit of little under $40 million in 2024, he is not in a favorable position to potentially complete out his contract. Even if he had been healthy for the previous three years (he has missed 38 games in that time), he would not play this season with that kind of salary burden.
In sum, removing him will save the Packers $21 million against their 2024 salary ceiling. While Gutekunst would not commit to cutting Bakhtiari, he would not deny that it was not an option:
The next NFL league year begins on March 13. This indicates that a decision will be made within the next two weeks. Bakhtiari still has a long way to go in his comeback from his most recent knee injury, so the three-time Pro Bowler’s time in Green Bay could be coming to an end.
