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David Bakhtiari has never played for an NFL team other than the Green Bay Packers, but the 32-year-old is trending toward a return to the football field following his March release from the franchise.
After undergoing multiple knee surgeries throughout the 2023 season, Bakhtiari is on schedule to be ready for the 2024 season, his doctor says per Ian Rapoport. Dr. Brian Cole, chairman of Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and chairman of surgery at Oak Park Hospital, recently had a follow-up exam with Bakhtiari and likes the progress the tackle has made since going under the knife.
Injuries have taken over Bakhtiari's career over the last three years. After not missing a single game in five of his first seven seasons with the Packers, Bakhtiari played 25 games from 2020 through 2023.
It started with a torn ACL at the end of the 2020 season which sidelined him for all but one game in 2021. Bakhtiari then missed six games in 2022 before missing the remainder of the 2023 season after starting Week 1.
After 11 years with the team, the Packers released Bakhtiari on March 11. He was slated to carry a $40 million cap hit in the final year of a four-year contract that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history when he signed it in November 2020. He tore his ACL six weeks after signing the extension.
The Packers saved over $20 million in salary cap space by releasing him.
Can David Bakhtiari remain an impact player?
There is no denying that when healthy, David Bakhtiari is among the premier tackles in the NFL. A two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time second-team member, Bakhtiari was an integral part of some electric Packers offenses over the last decade.
NFL teams are always looking for depth along the offensive line and it's rare for a potential future Hall of Fame player to be available. This latest injury update might turn some heads toward Bakhtiari, but it's unlikely he will sign with a team before the start of training camp.
Despite the talent he possesses, Bakhtiari turns 33 in September and is coming off significant knee operations. Legs are such an important tool for NFL offensive linemen, especially with defensive rushers getting quicker and more agile.
Still, Bakhtiari could bring valuable experience and knowledge to any offensive line room and should have some teams calling for his services over the next few months.
Where he wants to play remains a mystery. The Packers aren’t a likely landing spot and his love for Green Bay means he probably won’t engage with any other NFC North teams. Bakhtiari would presumably want to play for a contender this late in his career, but might not get those offers.
Several middling teams that have struggled to produce solid offensive line play in recent years would be foolish not to make gauge his interest. Among them are the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders.
David Bakhtiari is fully focused on rehabbing with his sights set on a fully healthy season in 2024. It would be a great story to see him back on an NFL field later this year.
