NEWSLETTER
The Green Bay Packers are in a dog fight with *checks notes* the Jacksonville Jaguars. And perhaps because the Jaguars are in a position to pull off an upset is reason enough for a leak of good news for their fans.
The team’s stud left tackle isn’t going anywhere:
The #Packers and LT David Bakhtiari agreed on a 4-year extension worth up to $105.5M in new money, source said. He is now the highest paid offensive lineman in NFL history. At its base, it’s $23M per year and could reach $23.5M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 15, 2020
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the team and David Bakhtiari have a deal for a four-year extension. It’s a big-money deal that pays him $23 million per year and could be worth as much as $105.5 million. Bakhtiari, 29, is a two-time Pro Bowler who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2018. Hence, he was an obvious extension candidate in Green Bay.
What this means for the Bears is at least two things. For starters, Bakhtiari will continue to be a thorn in the side of Bears pass-rushers for the forceable future. Additionally, the extension takes Bakhtiari off the free agent market before he could even be in consideration.
The Bears are rumored to be considering re-allocating whatever free agent funds they have to fix the offensive line this coming offseason. Hey, it’s a heckuva concept! And while San Francisco’s Trent Williams, Carolina’s Russell Okung, and Washington’s Brand Scherff are headliners of the upcoming class, Bakhtiari could’ve been seen as the biggest fish. In the end, he returns to familiar waters.
