David Bakhtiari comments on potential Packers return in a way only he could
David Bakhtiari wants to play this season, but which team he joins is the million-dollar question. Bakhtiari only played one game for the Green Bay Packers last year—in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears—but reminded the world why he is a five-time All-Pro.
Talent was never a concern. Bakhtiari has played below 100 percent with no practice and still performed at a Pro Bowl level.
The former fourth-round pick told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he feels "really good" and wants to play for "another couple of years."
Bakhtiari believes his latest surgery could allow him to return to playing a full-time role, but will he reunite with Jordan Love in Green Bay or Aaron Rodgers in New York? He doesn't believe so.
David Bakhtiari had the perfect reaction to potential Packers reunion
Bakhtiari wants to continue playing. The question is where. When asked about a potential return to Green Bay, he answered in the most David Bakhtiari way possible.
"I would say, never say never," Bakhtiari told Schefter. "If they wanted me to protect Jordan, they wouldn't have fired me."
Classic Bakhtiari.
He added that while anything is possible, he doesn't "see it as a high probability."
While it's true that a reunion with the Packers isn't likely, we shouldn't completely rule it out. Green Bay's decision to release him wasn't due to not wanting him to protect Love, but rather due to the salary cap. The Packers saved $20.9 million in cap space by releasing Bakhtiari—it's a move they had to make.
If Green Bay views first-round pick Jordan Morgan as a guard, re-signing Bakhtiari to start at left tackle could work for both sides. Rasheed Walker played admirably last season, but Bakhtiari is one of the best pass protectors in the league.
If he's fully healthy, Bakhtiari should have the choice of several teams and get the chance to start. But a deal with the New York Jets seems unlikely.
Many believed a reunion with Rodgers with the Jets made too much sense. However, after New York added Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, and Olu Fashanu this offseason, it's difficult to see how Bakhtiari would fit into the Jets' plans. He made it clear he wants to play a full-time role as a starter. Taking a role as a swing tackle for the Jets wouldn't make much sense.