If It’s a Rodgers ‘Package,’ Could Bakhtiari Go, Too?

Never mind the burning of his Cheesehead as part of his recruiting pitch for Aaron Rodgers, what Jets cornerback Ahmad Gardner said is more interesting.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 10, 2023 11:58 AM EST

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – New York Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner turned a Cheesehead into “cheese sauce” in a backyard firepit, part of a recruiting pitch to get Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to agree to a trade.

That potential trade, Gardner said, is “package deals all over. I can’t tell y’all who, but just know.”

Maybe Gardner graduated from the Davante Adams School of Social Media Trolling. Then again, he said he’s talked to Rodgers, so maybe he has some insight from either the quarterback or general manager Joe Douglas.

Could part of the “package” be bringing Rodgers’ close friend and left-hand man, former All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari?

The Jets have a complete roster aside from two critical weaknesses. One, obviously, is quarterback. The other is left tackle, where they whiffed on Mekhi Becton with the 11th pick of the 2020 draft.

The easy solution for the Jets is to draft a left tackle. However, drafting a left tackle would require having their first-round pick, No. 13. What if the Packers want that pick in order to deal away their four-time MVP quarterback?

From one perspective, trading Bakhtiari is an absurd idea. A quarterback’s best friend – especially a young quarterback’s best friend – is excellent pass protection. Bakhtiari, who general manager Brian Gutekunst said is “over the hump” of a devastating knee injury, is one of the best in the business. In a comeback season abbreviated by an appendectomy, Bakhtiari didn’t allow a sack.

“When he’s playing like that, it just is kind of a trickle-down effect and I think the whole unit as a whole played really, really well the second half of the season,” Gutekunst said at the Scouting Combine.

Having Bakhtiari at left tackle would give Jordan Love the protection needed to get comfortable in his first season as a starter.

However, trading Bakhtiari would allow the Packers to:

- Be the team drafting an offensive tackle at No. 13 as part of an on-the-fly remodel of an offense that would include Love and second-year receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.

- Have two first-round picks, allowing them to address one of their other key needs at outside linebacker, tight end, receiver, safety or defensive line.

- Get out of the end of Bakhtiari’s massive contract. The cap savings would be $5.7 million this year, according to OverTheCap.com, but $21.5 million in 2024, his final season under contract. When he’s on the field, he’s worth every penny but, if the Packers are going to hit the reset button at quarterback, an argument could be made they might as well hit the reset button everywhere.

- Return Yosh Nijman to left tackle. In six starts at that spot last season before moving to right tackle, Nijman didn’t allow a sack.

- Return Elgton Jenkins to left tackle. While he struggled at right tackle last year – a new position while coming off a torn ACL – don’t forget that he was quite good at left tackle in 2021 before the knee injury. Interestingly, the contract extension he agreed to in December includes incentives for Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors at left tackle.

As for the Cheesehead, Gardner wore one after breaking up three of Rodgers’ passes during the Jets’ victory at Lambeau Field in Week 6.

It was a great feeling, the eventual NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year said in a YouTube video, but not as good as “the conversation that me and Aaron Rodgers had. We settled our differences about the Cheesehead. The conversation definitely gave me hope that he can be in that green and white next year.”

As part of his recruiting pitch, Gardner burned the Cheesehead at his home alongside two of his teammates, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year receiver Garrett Wilson and explosive running back Breece Hall.

“It’s turning into cheese sauce,” Gardner said. He joked about making s’mores – obviously not a good idea considering the menagerie of chemicals inside the foam.

Toward the end of the video, turning series, Gardner said, “I need you to come here so we can win a Super Bowl.”