Over the past year, Aaron Rodgers has brought in a number of former teammates to the New York Jets, and soon, an offensive lineman who was formerly in the Pro Bowl might follow suit.
The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman stated last week that he anticipates the Green Bay Packers will either trade or cut David Bakhtiari during the summer. This has given rise to fresh rumors that Bakhtiari will ultimately sign with the Jets.
Bakhtiari has spent the last few years dealing with knee problems. The 32-year-old only participated in one game of the previous campaign before needing surgery to treat a cartilage problem. After tearing his ACL late in the 2020 campaign, Bakhtiari has only appeared in 13 games.
The question isn’t ‘should’ the #Jets pick him up but rather when they will. It’s inevitable. It’s happening lol
If he wants to join up with his buddy Aaron Rodgers on a vet minimum deal as another body in the OL room why the heck not?
When healthy he’s been an All Pro.
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) February 18, 2024
The Packers may save around half of Bakhtiari’s projected $40 million salary cap next season if they decide to remove him. For many, that is the expected result.
Since Bakhtiari and Rodgers are close friends, there has been discussion for some time about Rodgers luring the three-time Pro Bowl lineman to New York. The Jets also need aid on the offensive line, but Bakhtiari’s contribution will depend on his ability to recover.