The Packers made a major move before their Week 10 date with the Jaguars. Green Bay locked up left tackle David Bakhtiari with a four-year extension, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link). He had previously been set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The deal is worth up to $105.5MM in new money, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The base value is $23MM per year, Rapoport adds, which makes him the new highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Widely considered one of the best tackles in the league, Bakhtiari made his return on Sunday from a chest injury that cost him a few games. This is certainly a nice welcome-back gift.
A fourth-round pick back in 2013, he turned into a steal for Green Bay. The Colorado product became a full-time starter as a rookie, and he’s been protecting Aaron Rodgers‘ blindside ever since. He’s been pretty durable, starting all 16 games in five of his seven full seasons and never missing more than four in one year.
An All-Pro in each of the past four seasons, Bakhtiari only turned 29 in September. As such, he should still be in the prime of his career when this new pact expires. Laremy Tunsil became the highest-paid offensive lineman and first to eclipse $20MM annually back in March, and now Bakhtiari has blown past those numbers.
He’s pretty much in quarterback-money territory now. Rapoport later posted a follow-up tweet saying he’ll get a whopping $30MM signing bonus, with $62.8MM coming his way before the end of the 2022 campaign. Since 2017 Bakhtiari is first in the league in pass block win rate among tackles, according to a tweet from Seth Walder of ESPN.com.
That’s too much for one lineman. No chance of getting those defensive playmakers you need now. Bad move.
How dude? They drafted Rodgers successor last draft and try and trade him after he wins the MVP award cause Russ my man can’t stop throwing picks now. Offload the Rodgers contract and that’s another 30 mil you can use
Depending on when (and if) they move Rodgers, they would likely face a massive cap hit, which would negate much of the financial benefit of moving on from him
You get rid of Rodgers this team goes back to the 70’s and 80’s get a clue!! Jordan Love is not even a Back Up QB in the NFL!!!
I believe if they try to move Rodgers before the spring of 2023 it would cost more than to keep him. Which is yet another reason the selection of Love made no sense.
Your office would be burned to the ground if you traded Rodgers after just winning the MVP, so you can start a guy who was a reach in the last draft.
Russ is dealing with a concussion or Ciara is holding out. Something is messing with guys head. That tipped pass of Owens for a pick six started a steep decline which they best get fixed in a day or two.
Congrats!
Ughhhh….hate the move but can’t let him walk either. Hope he stays healthy.
Hopefully he doesn’t pull a Roney stanly
Bruh.. can you even spell? If you’re gonna take shots, at least aim it correctly. Not to mention, I doubt Ronnie Stanley enjoyed fracturing his ankle..
This is at least partially related to his beer chugging abilities.
These wonderful salary packages… Some of these athletes are set beyond their own life span… Good for them…
You don’t let the best LT in the league walk in the midst of his prime. Not when you have an aged HOF QB. The salary structure lowers the cap hits next year. Good for Bakh and good for Packers management doing the right thing.
I doubt Jones gets a deal and King, Linsley and some possible veteran cuts are next.
At this point keeping King would be almost as dumb as drafting Love.
And to think, we passed on TJ Watt to draft him. One final FU from TT
I’m interested to know who would be considered the best tackle in the league if Bakhtiari is not. This deal will get surpassed soon, and keeps Bakhtiari around for the next QB if the Packers decide to move on from Rodgers (a move which would be dubious in wisdom in my mind, but seemingly is inevitable) in the next two years. The best move for a young QB is to give him elite protection, which Bakhtiari will do. The QB may not work out, but at least he will not have to worry about his blindside as long as Bakhtiari is there.
It’s a smart move by the Packers who are obviously aware the Bears would sign Bakhtiari in a heartbeat if he ever became a UFA.