The 2022 NFL season was a forgettable one for the Green Bay Packers. The team got off to an awful start, but then won four straight games to claw back into the playoff picture. However, a home loss to the Detroit Lions gave the Packers a final record of 8-9 missing the playoffs for the first time in the Matt LaFleur era.
After this roller coaster of a season, Green Bay is facing many questions this offseason. Chief among them is the future of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, which is once again uncertain. There's also the fact that the Packers are about $17.5 million over the salary cap, meaning they might have to make some difficult moves to get under it.
Green Bay can create some much-needed cap space by restructuring some of their bigger deals. However, that likely won't do much to solve the long-term issue, so some cuts may be necessary. Those cuts might include some longtime veterans, and it could be a painful offseason in Green Bay.
Without further ado, let's go over one potential roster cut that would be the most shocking of them all.
Packers surprise roster cut: OT David Bakhtiari
When healthy, David Bakhtiari is one of the very best offensive linemen in football. He earned five straight All-Pro selections, two on the first team and three on the second team. Bakhtiari has been Rodgers' blindside protector for a decade now, and it's hard to imagine him in another uniform.
So, why would the Packers decide to move on from Bakhtiari if he's so good? Well, there are a couple reasons why this move isn't out of the realm of possibility.
First off, that “when healthy” part has become a bit of an issue in recent years. Towards the end of the 2020 season, Bakhtiari tore his ACL in a devastating blow to both him and the Packers. He missed the rest of 2020, nearly all of 2021 and the start of 2022 recovering from the injury. Later in 2022, he had to undergo an appendectomy that caused him to miss even more time.
That said, it appears that Bakhtiari is on the right track now. The offensive tackle has said he feels optimistic about the 2023 season, now having a full offseason to prepare. Packers GM Brian Gutekundst also said he hopes to have Bakhtiari back next season, and shared a positive update about his injuries.
“I think we’re hopeful that he’s kind of cleared some of those injury hurdles that he had the last few years,” Gutekunst said. “He got into a really good rhythm of learning what he needed to practice to get to the games, and I’m hopeful as we get beyond this season that rhythm will serve him well as we go forward.”
However, it's important to note that Bakhtiari is 31 and will turn 32 early next season. On one hand, many offensive linemen have played well beyond that age and still performed well. On the other hand, a player on the wrong side of 30 coming off a recent major injury is always a risky prospect.
Secondly, there's the financial aspect of Bakhtiari's contract. He will carry a cap hit of around $28.8 million next season, the second-highest on the team behind Rodgers. The Packers would only save around $5.7 million by cutting Bakhtiari before June 1, not worth it for his talent. However, that number jumps to around $17.3 million if they cut him after June 1, which may be more enticing.
Really, Bakhtiari's future in Green Bay could come down to what Rodgers does. In fact, some writers have even mentioned the idea of them being packaged together in one trade. Whether Rodgers decides to play in Green Bay or elsewhere, it'd make sense to have his best blocker with him.
Saw some rumors floating around about the Packers potentially packaging other players together alongside Rodgers in a trade. 1 name to watch: David Bakhtiari
If Rodgers were to be dealt, it’s expected he’d prefer “his guys” to come along. Bakhtiari is one of his closest friends. https://t.co/imXYjbfMsL
— Michael Marino (@MarinoMLB) February 1, 2023
If Rodgers and Packers decide to run it back one more time, then David Bakhtiari likely stays. If they decide to end the marriage, though, Bakhtiari could very well be on his way out.
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