Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari hinted that he may not be planning to stay in Green Bay this offseason.
Aaron Rodgers is set to leave the Green Bay Packers this summer, and his trusty blindside tackle could follow in his footsteps. David Bakhtiari has played with Rodgers for the last decade and recently appeared on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast this week.
Bakhtiari, who is signed with the Packers through 2024, had a few points to say about Rodgers’ impending trade. He didn’t bring up anything people didn’t already know:
“I think the most simple thing is they’ll [the Packers] get whatever picks they wanted, they’ll get it before the draft, and then time will show us. He’s going to be a Jet.”
The most curious part, however, is that Bakhtiari used the pronoun “they” when referring to the Packers, not the typical “we.” He continued to use “they” throughout the interview, and at the end, gave a little laugh when saying he doesn’t want to be traded.
Bakhtiari’s choice of words may suggest the tackle may have a trade destination in the back of his head, as it seems very likely he would want to move on once his long-time quarterback does, too.
Packers tackle David Bakhtiari may leave with Aaron Rodgers in 2023
Whether that potential future landing spot will be the New York Jets or a different team is up for debate.
Bakhtiari also noted that the Packers are in a rebuilding phase with youngster Jordan Love set to succeed Rodgers as the team’s starting quarterback. Why would Bakhtiari want to be on team that doesn’t have ring-chasing hopes in 2023? At 31 years old, the tackle may be keeping a side eye on a serious championship contender in need of offensive line depth.
Rodgers did mention in the past that he’d like to continue playing with Bakhtiari if possible, though the Jets have former first-round pick Mekhi Becton at left tackle already.
Given Becton’s injury history, the Jets could reasonably add starting-caliber reinforcements at the position, and bringing over Rodgers’ friend would no doubt inflate the veteran quarterback’s mood.
As of now, Bakhtiari remains a Packer and has said he has no intentions of leaving. Time will tell if he changes his mind.
