Bakhtiari Calls Packers’ Schedule Video ‘Booty Cheeks’

The former All-Pro left tackle for the second time in a month delivered some less-than-flattering comments about his employer.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
May 11, 2023 10:31 PM EDT
Original:
May 11, 2023

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The release of the NFL schedule is a big deal for fans but maybe even a bigger deal for team social media staffs, who get to let their hair down and make a fun promotional video.

The Green Bay Packers’ video was, in the eyes of veteran left tackle David Bakhtiari, “booty cheeks.”

First, Bakhtiari asked Jason Wahlers, the team’s vice president of communications, if he “signed off” on the video. To Wahlers’ response, Bakhtiari replied:

“It’s booty cheeks! I could’ve asked an aspiring TikTok creator that’s still in high school to create something better.”

Here’s the Packers’ video.

Bakhtiari did like this one from the Tennessee Titans.

With Bakhtiari set to turn 32 on Sept. 30, the former All-Pro is the oldest veteran remaining on offense following a transformative offseason in which his close friend, Aaron Rodgers, was traded to the New York Jets. Receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb followed him to The Big Apple in free agency.

It’s fair to at least wonder if Bakhtiari wants out of Green Bay, too, considering this was his second less-than-flattering comment about his employer in a month. As he said on The Bussin’ With The Boys podcast in April while discussing the looming Rodgers trade:

“The Packers are rebuilding, whether you think so or not. Could they be good? I don’t know. Could they be bad? Probably, if you’re betting, more people are going to think they’re going to be bad than good. Isn’t that fair to say?”

Is it possible the Packers could dump Bakhtiari, just like they dumped Josh Sitton just before the start of the 2016 season?

Because of a couple cap-saving contract restructures, Bakhtiari’s cap charge for the 2023 season is $21.34 million. If the Packers were to release Bakhtiari today, they’d be saddled with a dead-money charge of about $38.17 million for 2023. That would add $16.83 million to Green Bay’s cap – an impossible pill to swallow.

However, if the Packers moved on after June 1, the dead money could be split between the 2023 and 2024 salary caps and the Packers would save $2.25 million on this year’s cap.

The problem is the Packers didn’t draft an offensive tackle. They could line up with Yosh Nijman and Zach Tom as the starting tackles but there’s zero proven depth behind that potential duo.

Bakhtiari is under contract through the 2024 season. His cap number next year is scheduled to be $40.58 million. Moving on would free up $21.5 million on the 2024 cap.

In case you were wondering, the Jets’ projected left tackle is Duane Brown, who will turn 38 during training camp. He allowed one sack in 12 games for the Jets last season, according to Pro Football Focus, after yielding eight in 17 games for the Seahawks in 2021.