After recent events, the Packers ‘Must’ cut ties with the top left tackles in the league….

At this point, we know that an NFL breakup with David Bakhtiari is almost certainly in the cards for the Packers. There is a chance that his contract could be reworked in such a way that he can stick around in a Green Bay uniform, and his veteran presence would be welcome on a team that has clearly lacked a strong, experienced voice once his knee problems re-emerged after Week 1.

Since he first tore his ACL in December 2020, Bakhtiari has been unable to stay on the field. He has been excellent when he plays—he is still among the top left tackles in the game—but he has played just 13 games in three seasons. And he’s 32, the oldest guy on a Packers team in the midst of a youth movement.

Thus, Bleacher Report is calling for Bakhtiari to be one of three Packers who “must” be cut in 2024.

“The NFL is a business and the Packers really can’t go forward without at least restructuring the tackle’s contract. Even that would need to involve a pay cut to offset the potential savings of either trading or releasing him this offseason,” B/R’s Alex Ballentine wrote this week.

Cutting David Bakhtiari Saves Packers Money

Certainly, the finances do not lean in the favor of keeping Bakhtiari around. It is a tough pill to swallow, to pay a player to not play for you, but that’s likely what Green Bay would have to do, barring a major restructure of Bakhtiari’s contract—one that he has little incentive to accept.

“David Bakhtiari is set to account for a $40.5 million cap hit next season,” Ballentine wrote. “If the team were to release him they would only be on the hook for about $19.1 million of that in the form of a dead cap charge, per Spotrac.”

That is true, and it is the reason why many assume Bakhtiari will be let go. He can take his Packers money and sign a small deal elsewhere. But Ballentine makes some assumptions that could be questioned when it comes to Bakhtiari. Most notable is that he is not the same player he was when he is on the field.