The Green Bay Packers, the youngest team in the NFL in 2023, got even younger in 2024 and, once again, are the youngest team in the league. A big reason why this is the case is because they decided to part ways with three veteran offensive linemen over the course of the offseason and replaced them with three draft picks.
The linemen that were let go or allowed to leave in free agency were Jon Runyan Jr., Yosh Nijman, and David Bakhtiari. Runyan signed with the New York Giants in free agency while Nijman signed with the Carolina Panthers. Bakhtiari, the biggest name of the three, was released due to a failed physical and remains a free agent.
Former Green Bay Packers Offensive Lineman David Bakhtiari Battled Knee Injuries for 3 Seasons
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Bakhtiari’s final three seasons in Green Bay were frustrating. And while fans will say that it was frustrating for them, there is no one who was more upset about the situation than Bakhtiari himself.
From 2016-2020, there were only two left tackles in the entire NFL to be named as an All-Pro in each season. Bakhtiari and current New York Jets star Tyron Smith. Unfortunately, at the end of the 2020 season, Bakhtiari tore his ACL doing a non-contact drill in practice.
The injury forced him to miss the remainder of the 2020 season, as well as all but the final game of 2021. Despite returning in the last game of that season, he did not play in the Packers’ loss in the NFL Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers.
Bakhtiari returned to play 11 games in 2022, getting certain weeks off for rest and to protect his knee. 2023 was supposed the be the season in which he was finally back at full strength and based on his dominance over the Chicago Bears in Week One, it certainly looked like he was.
But tests after the game showed that he had injured his knee again and required multiple surgeries that would keep him out for the rest of the season.
The Green Bay Packers Released David Bakhtiari Earlier This Year
Scheduled to carry a salary cap hit of nearly $40 million in 2024, Bakhtiari was released by the Packers earlier this year. To replace him (and the other offensive linemen who left in free agency, Green Bay selected Jordan Morgan, Jacob Monk, and Travis Glover in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As was the case when Bakhtiari went down last season, Rasheed Walker is the starting left tackle again this year.
In their Week One loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Morgan was one of Green Bay’s top-five highest-graded offensive players per PFF.
With the future of the offensive line set without Bakhtiari, the Packers have officially closed the financial books on the former All-Pro according to a recent report.
David Bakhtiari Is Getting $2 Million from the Green Bay Packers
According to Packers salary cap expert Ken Ingalls, Bakhtiari requested and received a $2 million injury benefit from the team, which will cost them an extra $1.2 million against this year’s salary cap:
As expected, David Bakhtiari filed for injury protection benefit from the Packers after being released with a failed physical designation before the 2024 season.
He will receive $2,050,000 with $1,230,000 counting against the Packers 2024 salary cap for this claim. pic.twitter.com/1ocz6DC2nY
— Ken – Packers Cap (@KenIngalls) September 9, 2024
Some fans were not too happy with this news, based on the responses to Ingalls’ post.
One X user wrote, “Bro still stealing from the Packers.”
“Bak robbed this team for like 3 years lol,” said another.
“I’ve been watching the packers since 1977 and I don’t remember him playing a snap. He was always on the sidelines,” said another user, who obviously watched just 10 games between 2013 and 2020, which just happened to be the 10 games Bakhtiari missed during those eight seasons.
Another fan wrote, “One last f— you to us I guess.”
NFL players put their bodies through so much more than people realize. There is a reason the average career is just three seasons. Every player, including Bakhtiari, should get every last dollar they can for as long as they can get it.
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