GREEN BAY, Wis. — After 11 seasons in Green Bay, and playing just 13 games in the last three seasons, the Packers are reportedly releasing 3-time Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari, he announced in a heartfelt goodbye on his social media accounts:
It was a tumultuous end to his Packers career, which spanned 131 career games since 2013. The 32-year-old was on and off the IR with a knee injury during the 2023 season. Though a potential return was teased throughout the season, it became increasingly clear in early October that Bakhtiari would not return for the Playoffs.
Much of his issues over the last several seasons stemmed from a torn ACL in late 2020. The former 4th-round pick by the Packers made four All-Pro teams in his career including first-team selections in 2018 and that same season — 2020.
Here’s what he had to say in his farewell to Packers fans and the City of Green Bay:
“A lot of emotion in this. I just want to say THANK YOU Green Bay. Thank you for the last 11 years. It’s been a hell of a run. I always wanted to raise a Lombardi on Lombardi avenue, but I will never complain. I gave it my all. I always gave it my best no matter the circumstance and to me, that truly was enough. My 32 year old self is so damn proud of that 21 year old with no facial hair, bushy tail kid that just wanted to do his best. I’m so proud of you. For whatever happens next, I look forward to it. To the city and fans all across the world, I just want to say thank you. To the entire organization, Thank you. To entire coaching staffs, Thank you. To the entire support staff, Thank you. To my wife and daughter (Frankie and Felix): I hope you are proud. To my family (Debbie, Karl, Eric, Andrew, and Danielle): I hope I represented our name with pride these past 11 years in Green Bay. I cannot thank everyone, so I hope this post will suffice. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile, because it happened.”
It’s unclear where he’ll land next, but the Packers are expected to clear more than $20 million in cap space with this move. They’re also expected to eat approx. $19M in dead cap, but the team ultimately decided that immediate cap flexibility would be more valuable.
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