Strong mutual interest exists between coach and player in terms of David Bakhtiari returning to the Green Bay Packers as Matt LaFleur’s left tackle in 2023.
Retirement isn’t an option, and Bakhtiari wants to continue his career in Green Bay.
There are hurdles. Bakhtiari is under contract for next season, but the five-time All-Pro’s cap number balloons to over $29 million in 2023, and there’s a $9.5 million roster bonus due in March. He also turns 32 years old in September and has only recently returned to something resembling normal after three surgeries completed on his knee in the span of 18 months.
Regardless of the obstacles, LaFleur said he wants Bakhtiari back next year.
“I thought that once we got him back out there on a consistent basis, once we learned how to best practice him, once he learned how to do that for himself, I thought he played at a pretty high level,” LaFleur said Monday.
Bakhtiari said he doesn’t have surgery planned for the offseason and will have an opportunity to “train” and “build his armor” before the 2023 season.
After missing all but one game during the 2021 season, Bakhtiari finally returned in 2022 and once again looked like an elite player at a premium position. He played 597 snaps over 11 starts and gave up just 10 total pressures, including zero sacks. If nothing else, Bakhtiari proved he’s still one of the best pass-blocking offensive linemen in the game.
It’s possible some kind of contract restructuring will need to happen to keep Bakhtiari in Green Bay in 2023.
Regardless of who is playing quarterback for the Packers next season, having Bakhtiari protecting the left side of the offensive line would be valuable.
Of course, LaFleur and Bakhtiari don’t make final personnel decisions. That’s the job of general manager Brian Gutekunst, who will speak to the media on Friday. He may provide more detail on the team’s plans for Bakhtiari this offseason, but it’s hard to imagine Gutekunst feeling differently about the future of a top player at an important position.
