3 contracts holding the Green Bay Packers back right now

2. David Bakhtiari

2023 cap hit: $21.34 million

2024 cap hit: $40.58 million

David Bakhtiari has put together a Hall-of-Fame career. He has been unlucky with injuries the past couple of seasons but is still a dominant left tackle when healthy.

However, he is also set for a huge salary cap hit in 2024.

The Packers restructured Bakhtiari's deal this offseason. Doing so created more cap space this year, but Bakhtiari still has a cap hit of $21.34 million. The move increased next year's cap hit to $40.58 million.

Green Bay could release Bakhtiari next offseason, a move that would create $21.5 million in cap space. However, the team would still have to pay $19.08 million in dead cap.

There are other ways to reduce next year's cap hit, including giving Bakhtiari a contract extension. But all that will do is spread cap hits into future years. With Rodgers' deal likely coming off the books in 2024, maybe the Packers will find room to take on a dead cap hit of $19.08 million by releasing Bakhtiari.

Bakhtiari is a dominant left tackle and one of the Packers' most popular players. But he could be entering his final year in Green Bay this season. A year from now, the Packers will need to find a way to lower his cap hit of over $40 million.