The David Bakhtiari era in Green Bay is over, as he was released by the team last Monday. But it doesn't mean that the Packers don't have to root for his return to the NFL.

Right now, his future is uncertain, and reportedly Bakhtiari will not be fully healthy before training camp. However, according to NFL Network's insider Ian Rapoport, his plan is to keep playing football.

When the #Packers released All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari, there were some questions about what's next. My understanding: He is diligently rehabbing and is focused on returning to play this coming season, I'm told. He's taking it as it comes. But plans to play.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2024

Why the Packers want him in the league

The Packers were slated to pay $21.5 million to David Bakhtiari in 2024. That salary doesn't exist anymore, and the $19.065 million in dead money for Green Bay is the result of previously paid money that hadn't hit the cap yet.

But if the knee injury prevents David Bakhtiari from signing with another team, the Packers' situation can become dicier.

If he can't come back, Bakhtiari is most likely eligible to get an injury protection. The Packers would have to pay (and account that in their salary cap) an extra $1.23 million.

Even more concerning, Bakhtiari could file an injury grievance against the Packers, trying to receive his full $21.5 million salary.

In this case, 40% of the grievance ($8.6 million) would immediately hit Green Bay's cap. When the case is finalized, the Packers would have to pay or not some kind of money to Bakhtiari — if it's more than $8.6 million, that would be another extra cap hit. And if it's less than that or nothing, the team would get the money credited back to their future cap room.

Nonetheless, that's an uncomfortable situation, and the extra cap usage would be hurtful for the Packers' plans. If the left tackle can sign anywhere else, that would avoid such a drastic scenario.

Injury status

Since Bakhtiari tore his ACL almost 40 months ago, he has played 13 games — and he was in and out in some of them. The ligament is not even the problem anymore.

After his season ended in 2023 after one game, the left tackle explained the situation.

Doctors extracted about 10-15% of his lateral meniscus during the first surgery to repair his ACL. But fluid buildup remained, and that created chronic discomfort. After further studies, Bakhtiari knew he had an issue in the femoral condyles, two prominences at the end of the femur. Doctors knew that was the case when he first repaired the ACL, but that could have never generated symptoms. For Bakhtiari, it did.

"In my knee, it's basically like sandpaper where it rubs. It's just not smooth, which is creating a lot of fluid," Bakhtiari said in October. "I've been dealing (with) a lot of effusion for a long time, and that's where you see the constant, I'm in and then I'm out, I'm out and then I'm in. We wanted to make sure that we could address every possible way to not do it because we understood what the surgery has to be."

Since that interview, Bakhtiari has worked to find a definitive solution, which included surgery and rehab.

For the Packers, it was too much risk to pay Bakhtiari without assurances that he will play in 2024, and it was unrealistic to adjust his contract. So the parties went separate ways, even though it doesn't mean Bakhtiari's career is over.

Market

When the Packers released David Bakhtiari, the obvious landing spot for the left tackle was the New York Jets. That way, he could reunite with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They are close friends, and the offensive line was a big issue for the team. However, the Jets ended up signing Tyron Smith and trading for Morgan Moses, solving both of their tackle issues.

At this point, the ideal spot for Bakhtiari is probably the Kansas City Chiefs. Donovan Smith became a free agent and hasn't been re-signed yet. Bakhtiari would be a huge upgrade, and he could have a lighter workload during the regular season.

Anyway, the next step for David Bakhtiari is to make sure that he is healthy enough to endure a season. If and when he is able to do that, interested teams will certainly appear — and that's exactly what the Packers hope for.

Packers made tough move because they had no other option

Team released left tackle David Bakhtiari