@Badgeman posted:I think I'd love to see Bakh back (if his knee honestly allows). We'd have excellent leadership with Bakh and Jones and Love on offense. This Packers team is ready to make serious noise
Only with a significant contract restructure.
Gute needs to be fired immediately if he brings back Bak anywhere near 15-20M. The guy hasn’t been healthy for 3 years. I don’t GOF what his doctors or handlers say.
Thanks 69 but go join your horse paste mouthy SOB in New Jersey.
Today, Bakh says:
"Those who don’t know, will learn. Those who know, will appreciate. Those who appreciate, I won’t let down.
🧀 IF he’s healthy— who CARESSSS what David Bakhtiari costs!!! pic.twitter.com/cAPM4dzu7V
— CheeseheadTV 🧀 (@cheeseheadtv) February 27, 2024
Head says no, heart says yes
@Boris posted:🧀 IF he’s healthy— who CARESSSS what David Bakhtiari costs!!!
— CheeseheadTV 🧀 (@cheeseheadtv) February 27, 2024
Looks like Nags is all heart and too much whiskey with this take.
Huge cap hit and no assurance he can even play, let alone stay healthy?
Time to move on. Money better spent elsewhere.
Plus it looks like there's going to be some nice prospects at #25 (Troy Fautanu anyone? Graham Barton?)
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said he hasn’t made a move w/LT David Bakhtiari cuz he doesn’t like to make decisions before he has to.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) February 27, 2024
He certainly doesn’t want to carry his cap number once the league starts.
“Like to have a decision before that,” BG said just now at the combine.
If #69 refuses to restructure....we all know what's coming. If he wants to play for Green Bay he will restructure. Pretty simple really
Yep, he's been paid very well to play 1 game last year and half a game in 2021. It's time to give back or say Adios!
Bakh has a 40 million cap hit this year with 20 million of new money coming. If he's cut he doesn't get another cent of that 20 million. It's unlikely anyone guarantees him anywhere near that amount of money so there is some incentive for him to work with the Packers.
A restructure that guarantees him 20 million and is for something like 2 years and 30 million (with some incentives built in if he is a Pro Bowler, for example) would make sense. The Packers would save roughly 25 million in cap space this year, Bakh would see 20 million in new money, and his dead cap hit next year would be a manageable 15 million (that could be reduced further by splitting it over 2 years if he's released after June 1, 2025).
We'll see if he resists that - and the only reason I could see for doing that would be he knows the Jets would match or beat the guaranteed money. He might get an incentive laden contract from someone where he can make a lot of money if he's healthy, but no other team is going to sign him for any amount of large guaranteed money
I know others on here have mentioned that he won't want to play on their crappy turf in NY, but this is his last chance to make some more cash before he'll struggle to find a job that pays 6 figures a year after football. If the Jets send word they'll give him more money, that is likely to be where he ends up.
I believe that Bak said said in interview or via social media that he knows he'd have to renegotiate to stay.
@MichiganPacker posted:We'll see if he resists that - and the only reason I could see for doing that would be he knows the Jets would match or beat the guaranteed money. He might get an incentive laden contract from someone where he can make a lot of money if he's healthy, but no other team is going to sign him for any amount of large guaranteed money
I know others on here have mentioned that he won't want to play on their crappy turf in NY, but this is his last chance to make some more cash before he'll struggle to find a job that pays 6 figures a year after football. If the Jets send word they'll give him more money, that is likely to be where he ends up.
Strenuously Object
Bakhtiari is earning more than $6 Million/ year, just in interest, for the rest of his life (and his kids' lives) without earning another penny from the NFL
He certainly doesn't need a 6 figure job when he's done playing...
because he already has a 7 figure job, doing nothing. How cool is that ? 
What Bakh says he wants via recent interviews:
To play again, chase a Title and resurrect his HOF candidacy.
That's what drove him through 3 years of rigorous & painful rehab and why he risked another surgery. He wants to play. At an elite level. On a contender
He also said that he trusts the GB medical team with his knee and MLF already knows how to manage his workload throughout the long NFL season.
Why would he go to the dysfunctional jets who have no chance at a Title and play on a surface that he strongly believes is bad for his joints... ?
That makes no sense at all - especially given what he's just been through
On the contract side, of course he's going to restructure. And because he didn't play much in 2023, most of the incentive / performance pay will be considered NLTBE* and won't hit the Packers cap until 2025. That helps the Packers
If he plays a lot, he gets paid more - but since its considered " not likely " for cap purposes - it doesn't hit till 2025 when GB is in an even better position financially. Using the NLTBE option offers protection to both GB and the player, same with per- game bonuses.
* Likely vs Not Likely to be Earned" is based on previous years' performance
More below for those interested
https://www.behindthesteelcurt...kout-roster-steelers
Daktari's latest cryptic 'x' said something like he rewards those that are loyal to him.
If the Packers have been anything, they have been loyal to him.
Remind him that Spotted Cow is not supposed to be available outside the state. He'll play ball.
I think it's really pretty simple. Lot of options, but only a few make sense.
It'd be extremely irresponsible to give him any new money, so an extension is off the table. They could add voidable years to spread the cap hit out to 2025 and 2026 but they need cap room in those years when Love needs to be extended and the 2022 and 2023 draft class is ready for extensions/free agency. So IMO, voidable years are off the table.
That leaves reworking his contract to be heavily incentive based using games played. Like Satori said, this is set up perfect where games played are going to be NLTBE since he didn't play last year. So give him $3m base with $1m per game played. At most, a $6m base with $800k per game played. If he plays the full season, most of the cap hit is pushed to 2025 but that's ok, b/c you got a full season of HOF LT play. And if he's hurt, the impact is mitigated. They get to use that cash on other players that can help them win a Super Bowl in 2025.
If Bakh won't agree to that, releasing him is the only option. He has to look at his last 3 years and understand the position the Packers are in. I think he'll be reasonable but if not, it's $19m dead cap in 2024 but they save $20m.
I really don't think it's that complicated. It sucks but is what it is. Best ability is availability and Bakh lost that.
