Packers to release 5-time All-Pro player
Aug 9, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Green Bay Packers helmet during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Green Bay Packers are moving on from a player who has been a cornerstone for them for the better part of a decade.
The Packers are releasing five-time All-Pro offensive lineman David Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari announced the news himself on Monday in an emotional statement, accompanied by a video.
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… pic.twitter.com/dnc7gkKSAC
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) March 11, 2024
“A lot of emotion in this. I just want to say THANK YOU Green Bay,” Bakhtiari wrote. “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.”
At the peak of his career, the 32-year-old Bakhtiari was one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in the sport. Between 2016 and 2020, he was selected to five consecutive All-Pro teams. Injuries have limited him to 13 games in the last three seasons.
Bakhtiari’s release does not come as a big shock considering his salary and his lack of production recently. It will be worth watching to see if he winds up reuniting with former teammate and close friend Aaron Rodgers.
