I. The End of an Era in Green Bay

The text alert hit phones across Wisconsin late Tuesday morning, and for a split second, time seemed to slow around Lambeau Field.

“The Green Bay Packers have released LT David Bakhtiari.”

For most fans, it was news they knew was coming — yet never wanted to read.
For more than a decade, Bakhtiari had been the embodiment of Green Bay’s standard: a fifth-round afterthought who became a cornerstone, a locker-room compass, and one of the best pass protectors of his generation.

And now, with one transaction, it was over.

“It’s weird,” one Packers staffer said quietly. “You walk past his locker and it’s empty — that’s when it hits you. This guy was Lambeau for a long time.”

Within hours, Bakhtiari posted a farewell message to his 600,000 followers on X — a letter equal parts gratitude and heartbreak.

“To the city that drafted a kid nobody believed in — thank you.
To my teammates, coaches, fans — you gave me purpose every Sunday.
I left everything on that field. Always will. Go Pack Go — forever.”

II. The Player Who Redefined Protection

To understand why this moment reverberates so deeply, you have to understand who David Bakhtiari became.

He wasn’t supposed to be a star. Drafted in 2013 out of Colorado, he entered camp as an undersized project, a swing tackle at best.

Then, injuries hit early in that preseason — and Bakhtiari was thrown into the starting lineup against the 49ers.
He held his own.
Then he excelled.
Then he never left the lineup again for eight straight years.

From 2016 to 2020, Bakhtiari was the model of blind-side perfection — the rare lineman whose tape became teaching material across the league. His combination of balance, leverage, and hand discipline made him Aaron Rodgers’ most trusted protector and closest friend.

“David was the wall,” Rodgers once said. “He let me play free.”

Three All-Pro selections. Two Pro Bowls. A reputation built on dominance, not drama.

“He changed the way we coached the position,” said offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, now Green Bay’s offensive coordinator. “He showed that athleticism could be technique — that finesse could still be physical.”

III. The Knee That Changed Everything

On December 31, 2020 — a practice day before the season finale — everything changed.

Bakhtiari tore his ACL during a non-contact drill. The sound, teammates later said, was like a gunshot in the cold.
He would never be the same.

The rehab stretched into a labyrinth of setbacks: swelling, scar-tissue buildup, fluid drainings. He fought back multiple times, only to be sidelined again.

In the end, the injury didn’t just test his body — it tested his faith.

“There were days I couldn’t bend my knee,” he said last year. “Days I thought, maybe this is it.”

Yet even amid frustration, he stayed visible — attending games, mentoring younger linemen, cracking jokes from the sideline.
“David refused to disappear,” said center Josh Myers. “He stayed part of us even when he couldn’t play.”

Still, reality loomed. The knee never stabilized for a full season.
He played just 13 total games across the last three years.

And for a front office in transition, sentiment could no longer override sustainability.

IV. The Decision Behind the Goodbye

General manager Brian Gutekunst called the decision “gut-wrenching but necessary.”

“It’s not about what David can’t do,” Gutekunst said. “It’s about where our roster is going. We owe it to him to give clarity now, not later.”

In other words: respect through honesty.

The Packers are young now — the youngest roster in football last year — and building around quarterback Jordan Love requires flexibility, not nostalgia. Bakhtiari’s contract, with a $40-million cap hit in 2025, was immovable.

The move saves Green Bay roughly $20 million in space, money that can be reallocated to re-sign ascending players like Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, or Christian Watson.

“Timing’s brutal,” Gutekunst said. “But legacy doesn’t end with a transaction.”

V. The Locker-Room Reaction

The mood at Lambeau on release day was subdued — a mixture of gratitude and grief.

“Everybody knew it was coming,” said guard Elgton Jenkins, “but it still hurts. He was the big brother in the room.”

Bakhtiari’s locker had been a cultural hub — music playing, jokes flying, rookies getting roasted with love.
He was mentor and mischief-maker all at once.

“He kept things real,” said running back Aaron Jones. “He’d tell you when you messed up, then buy you dinner after. That’s leadership.”

VI. The Friendship With Rodgers

Of all the players processing the news, one name outside Wisconsin loomed largest: Aaron Rodgers.

Their bond extended far beyond football — vacations together, off-season workouts, shared humor, shared history.

When Rodgers left for New York, he called Bakhtiari his “soul brother in this game.”
When Bakhtiari was released, Rodgers posted a simple Instagram story: