Packers Won’t Wait for David Bakhtiari’s Knee to Heal
INDIANAPOLIS – The Green Bay Packers have a major financial decision looming with former All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. Major but probably simple.
Bakhtiari is due a $20.2 million base salary in 2024. The Packers have no idea if the latest procedures done on his injured knee – the fourth and fifth since the initial injury was sustained on Dec. 31, 2020 – will have him ready to play in 2024 for at least a few more months. Meanwhile, the Packers only have two weeks to get their salary cap configured to build a roster for the upcoming season.
Taking those two realities into account, the Packers almost certainly will release Bakhtiari before the start of the league-year on March 13. That decision would create almost $20.94 million of cap space.
“We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there,” general manager Brian Gutekunst told a group of local reporters on Tuesday at the Scouting Combine. “This is that time of year where we’re looking at everything, and those decisions will come pretty soon.”
What has to get done to get “there” for a decision? From a health and recovery perspective, nothing is going to change over the next couple weeks. There will be no definitive “yes” or “no” on his status for 2024, let alone if he’ll be ready to embark on the next chapter of his Hall of Fame-caliber career.
In other words, what is Gutekunst waiting for?
“I think it’s just part of my training from Ted Thompson,” Gutekunst said. “It’s just, different things can happen in the world, so don’t make decisions before you have to. So, we’ll kind of get through. I think we have a few weeks here before free agency starts, another league-year starts, and we’ll get through that and go from there.”
Bakhtiari’s cap charge for 2024 – his final season under contract – is about $40.02 million. That’s high-profile quarterback territory. If released, Bakhtiari would count as $19.08 million of dead money on the cap, the lingering impact of the $30 million signing bonus that was part of the four-year, $92 million contract extension signed in November 2020 and previous cap-saving contract restructures.
Bakhtiari played in only game last season – Week 1 against Chicago – before shutting it down and opting for surgery to, hopefully, get past his issues once and for all. He’s played in only 13 games the past three seasons.
In his place last season, 2022 seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker filled in admirably for the final 18 games (including playoffs). At this way-too-early juncture of the offseason, he’d be the starter for 2024.
“I certainly think he’s already shown that he’s done a great job,” Gutekunst said. “I want competition at all five spots, but Rasheed, the improvement in the work that he put in, it’s exactly what we want, and expect him to continue to get better. But he had pretty good year last year, he’s got a ton upside. Great person. And I’m excited to see where he’ll go.”
The Packers restructured Rashan Gary’s contract. That move got the Packers about $7.1 million under the salary cap. Moving on from Bakhtiari would push that past $28.0 million.
