Former Packers tackle David Bakhtiari on track for 2024 return following injury

According to Dr. Brian Cole, the Chairman of Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center, former All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari is on track to make a return to the field in 2024. The former Green Bay star was released from the Packers in March, but he appears set to play another season, per Ian Rapoport. All that’s left now is for Bakhtiari to find a new team.

In his 11 seasons with the Packers, Bakhtiari earned First-Team All-Pro honors twice and Second-Team All-Pro honors three times. He was also a three-time Pro Bowler. He became the first rookie in Green Bay to start every game since 1978 and the only NFL rookie to start every game at left tackle in the 2013 campaign.

In 2020, he signed a four-year, $105.5 million contract extension. At that time, he became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Unfortunately, injuries started popping up shortly after. In 2021, he tore his ACL, missing all but one game. In 2022, he faired better but started just 11 games. Last season, the Packers placed Bakhtiari on IR due to a knee injury to his left leg that required multiple surgeries.

After a long recovery process, it appears he’s finally ready to get back to work. The 2024 season will be his 12th in the league and likely his first with a team not in Green Bay.

Bakhtiari says emotional goodbye to Green Bay

After the Packers released Bakhtiari, the offensive lineman gave an emotional goodbye to the only team he’s known. A fourth-round draft pick out of Colorado, he played 11 seasons for Green Bay before his tenure came to a close.

“A lot of emotion in this,” Bakhtiari wrote on X. “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.”

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.