It's only a tough decision if you make it one. Bakhtiari has played in 13 games the last 3 seasons and just one game last year. If they can trade him for a late round pick great but if they can't it's no big deal. They NEED cap space, not more late round draft picks.

I know that sounds cold but the NFL is a chilly business. Lets put on our big boy pants and do what's right for the Green Bay Packers. What's right is moving on from David Bakhtiari. Thank you David for your years of awesome play, but the time has come to part ways. That time comes for EVERYONE...

The point about his high level of play is moot 😉 if he can’t stay on the field.

This is a business decision, and the NFL is big business. Bakhtiari is no longer a reliable player for the team. He WAS an excellent player, and until his freak injury during practice in 2020, he could be counted on to be a stalwart presence on the OL. Now, he can't stay healthy. And, no, I don't believe his trade or cutting him to gain much needed cap space would cause a huge reaction among fans. After all, as you pointed out, he has played only thirteen games the last three years. And in two of those years, he was only available for one game each season. Time to move on, with all due honors to a once great player.

He's done. We all know it.

Not a tough decision.
Just a formality.
Cory back in his well-behind-the-times wheelhouse.

"I would argue that the Packers held on to Aaron Rodgers one year too late — one year earlier, and they could’ve capitalized with a draft haul."

That may be true in hindsight Cory, but was Love ready to start behind a bad O-line which helped bang up Rodgers? Didn't he benefit greatly, sitting and learning behind the MVP one more season? Didn't it help his maturity by getting some live game reps throughout the season while teams were actually prepping for Rodgers (thinking Eagle game)?

I think the Packers actually did the right thing for Love's development.

I agree with you that they did the wrong thing cap-wise with Rodgers and it's time for DB too, unless there's a possibility of drastic changes to his cap hit that doesn't send more down the road. A 1-year test trial to help make the O-line great again. Otherwise, we have to go with the youngsters.

OL and specifically OT comes back into focus for the Draft and FA now that they haven't renewed Nijman's contract. With Bakhtiari most likely done in GB, they need to find another OT in the Draft, FA or from the PS. Will Caleb Jones step up? Is Kadeem Telfort still on the PS? Isaac Moore? Do we go after an OT early in the draft or do we use those early round picks to get players for our CB and S rooms? Remember, they also did not renew Savage's and Nixon's contracts, either. That does not mean that they won't be back, but it could mean exactly that. That is two DBs, specifically Safeties, gone, if they aren't resigned. And who knows what Rudy Ford's status is? I see DBs taken with GB's first 2 picks, this draft and OL, RB, LB, and DL after that, in no particular order. GO PACK, GO!!!

Andy Herman talked about this like 2 weeks ago. He did have an interesting compromise that would keep Bak on the team. You work out a deal with Bak that he would get like $1M/game roster bonus and his salary is vet minimum ($2M or there about). If he plays all 17 games he doesn't lose any money compared to what his salary is right now. If he only plays 3 games he would make $5M for the season. You end up keeping Bak AND say he is healthy the entire season and is playing at a high level you are then able to either resign him again OR let him walk and get a good comp pick in 2026.

So, what you are saying T7, GB should flush some more dollars down the toilet and resign David so he can get hurt again after 2 games. Thats just wrong and you know it. Just like the fans who wanted to hang on to Rodgers, emotion should not enter into this decision.

Bahk's body is just wearing out, it's a fact of life in pro sports. The fact that we still talk about him still possibly being worth some draft capitol, is a testament to how good he was in his prime. 2 years ago, maybe as much as a 2nd rounder. I would not be surprised if we get an offer from multiple teams. Either way it's time to go.

We have a player with great potential in GB that showed a great deal of promise last year in Walker. And he cost us almost nothing. Let's not ruin the gift we got with a 7th round pick. Plus let's not screw up his head by jerking him around for what we already know the end game is with Bahk. It' business, not personal.

The NFL is a business first and foremost, yes, but the business is making money, not necessarily putting the best team on the field. (And making money is about national TV exposure, which drives everything else.).

For example, keeping Rodgers around late in his career was a business decision, and probably not a football decision. Keeping Rodgers meant devoting too much cap space to a guy who wasn’t going to get them to a super bowl without a better supporting cast — which was difficult to impossible to build with the amount of cap Rodgers sucked up. Nevertheless, the guy was a TV draw . Just look at the number of prime time games the Jets were scheduled for last season.

Bakhtiari is a left tackle and as good as he is, Packer management is less likely to think that he alone will put them in prime time games. But who knows how Murphy & Gutekunst see the “business angle” , or what Bakhtiari is willing to do to keep playing.

It was exciting to see Bakht start the Chicago game and play well. Sadly, I think I saw the play where he got hurt late in the game.

He make a block leading through the hole on a run play and he got tripped or pushed and did a belly flop on the field. He started to get up and dropped back to the turf, head down. I told my wife at the time "oh no...I think Bakhtiari just got hurt. And that was it for 2023.

David was a premier NFL LT. Now he is a premier NFL financial risk.

Good luck and thanks, Dave.

I don't know what the options are money wise. If they cut him before June vs after, or if they trade him. I don't know what the salary ramifications are.

If they found a way to keep him I would be happy. If they let him go, I will understand why.

If they were to keep him (at a lower price) , one reason why I would be fine with it is because they have Walker. Walker would then become our swing OT. But also if something happened to Bakhtiari again they would have Walker right there to put in.

It wiill be interesting to see how they handle the position this offseason.

He has become a distraction. I'm always surprised that players who have been well-compensated but are no longer viable don't see themselves to the door.
And, with all of those knee injuries, why doesn't he realize it's over? He has a young daughter who would likely benefit from a healthy dad.

Interesting comments from Gute on Tackle position, Tom, and draft. If you read between lines a bit.

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2024/02/20/packers-positions-of-need-13...

“I think we’ll get to that,” said Brian Gutekunst when asked about Tom staying at right tackle, “but I think we’re gonna try to get the five best guys we can out there at all times and again, I think it’ll be our job to bring in some guys and have healthy competition in there.

“He played really well at right tackle this year, you know what I mean, and so to move him around I think, on the coaching staff, will be hard, but at the same time he’s probably a guy that can play all five spots and I think he could be really good at all five of ’em, so it’ll be just dependent on what we have and where we need him.”

I still think Gute drafted Tom with the idea he'd be Center, but Packers coaches didn't have much choice in filling RT with no one else stepping up. So will he draft an OT with the idea they could still move him inside? Sure sounds like it, depending on who they get. Bigger question is coaches decision making on best line combo.

It has been stated on most Packers sites that trading or cutting Bahk will save in excess of $20 million. It would be gravy to get anything in return for a trade but he is gone either way. Let some other team take the low percentage chance that Bahk's knee holds up for more than a couple games. Time to go.

The Packers were coming off back to back 13 win seasons when they made the ill fated decision to go all in and resign Rodgers. This will be debated for 20 years. I am on the side of we should have let him go while his value was sky high. That kings ransom was easily too much to pass up. I have read on here that Love probably wasn't ready. You don't know that unless you play him. Just like we didn't know this year.

And in case it has been forgotten, the trade didn't just include a boatload of picks. 3 good players were also in that deal. One was a 2nd round pick QB who would have been great competition for Love, Drew Lock-Missouri. I still have nightmares from him throwing for 500 yards against my Iowa Hawkeyes in a bowl game. He has talent.

This is what we would have got, WOW!!
QB Drew Lock-was the Broncos 2nd round pick
DT Shelby Harris-would have started for GB
TE Noah Fant-was the Broncos 1st round pick and we were TE needy
2022 first-round pick
2022 second-round pick
2022 fifth-round pick
2023 first-round pick
2023 second-round pick

The handwriting is clearly on the wall. He is on the wrong side of 30 and that injury has essentially ruined the remaining years as a pro bowl tackle. 21 Million bucks is what is paid to top flight performers who show up every week and make a difference. The decision should be an easy one for the Packers. David Bakhtiari was one of the better left tackles in the NFL for a goodly number of years, but the injuries, unreliability, and father time are have an undefeated record.

As TT used to say - it is better to trade or not resign a player 1 year too soon than 1 year too late. While at his position Bak deserved his contract but as is the NFL bad things do happen to good players. Time to fish or cut bait as they say. However looking back at TT - and thankfully Gute is allowed somewhat to spend more - TT made some bad decisions on key players - Micha Hyde being one - a stalwart on defense for Buffalo - one of the Packs positions of need over the past 10 years. But in the name of both salary cap and this new team clubhouse - it is time to move on - if we get a pick for him - or a compensory pick ( will we get one if he is cut??) - It is time to move on. Currently while we have some issues with the Oline - they are not glaring issues that the current players cannot overcome ( by this I mean we should focus our early round picks on other parts of the roster). But time to let Bak go and time to get as much cap space as we can. As far as whether of not we should have resigned AR - that is hindsight 20-20 - my only issue is that Gute and others should have taken a slightly harder line during contract negotiations even if that meant that he would have been pissed off or demanded a trade. But remember he was MVP 2 years during that contract.

I don't understand why... for the love of God... WHY.... people insist that this is a tough decision??? Can someone explain to me a reason - aside from sentiment - that it would be a good idea to have him on the roster?

Bak has not been a factor - AT ALL - in 3 years. You know what that makes him? A has-been.
Sure he was one of the best LT's to ever play the position... WAS. Now he's a 40M dollar drain that can't make it 1/17 of the way through a season. That's who he is NOW... Let it go y'all, we've been fine without him for THREE YEARS!

Sure seems to be a lot of Doctors and trainers on this. How do any of us know exactly well how healed or the process of healing has been for Bakh and he can't continue to play to the high level we are used too? May be just too early to pit him on the scrap pile! For me I hope he has healed great and will be our LT come new season!

I think you suspend judgment on Bakh until at least the first day of preseason workouts. If he lines up with the first team that is a great sign. He has earned that right. if you don't like what you see you can always cut him. I suspect he could fool a lot of people. He could come back stronger and better than ever for the upcoming season. If he makes the starting rotation you keep him ..DUH

It's not like his career (11 seasons) has been prematurely short. Or, his career earnings (126M+) will require him to get another job at the age of 32. Yes, emotionally "sad." Farewells often are. However, practically - not a tough decision at all.

It’s not a tough decision for a successful business.

They should release him rather than attempt to trade him. What team would want him at that salary? Besides, he doesn't like turf and the turf at Met Life is the worst in the nfl.
Release him and let him go where he chooses. He's earned that much.

Either the packers saw something in Njiman or they were trying to fool some team into signing him and giving us their 2nd round pick after we tendered him. 2 years ago, he replaced Bahk and looked ok. I think his fate was sealed when he couldn't beat out Walker during the season. It was cemented when Bosa treated him like his bitch @ SF.

Some needy team will still give him at least $5 million to be a backup swing tackle. Tenuta would have done better against Bosa. We should play him a lot in preseason to see what we have or don't have.

Walter Rouse-Oklahoma/Stanford might be a decent late round swing of the bat @ OT.