Packers sign David Bakhtiari to a midnight contract extension
The Packers take protecting Aaron Rodgers very seriously. That’s why they’ve signed David Bakhtiari to a new four-year contract.
David Bakhtiari had a chance to be the top left tackle available in unrestricted free agency. Instead, the talented offensive lineman is going to stay with the franchise that drafted him. The Packers and Bakthriati agreed to terms on a new four-year contract just ahead of midnight on Saturday night.
The agreement is not a cheap move for the Packers. It will reportedly make Bakhtiari the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The total amount of new money in the deal will pay him $105.5 million over the next four years.
It’s still hard to see this as anything other than a positive for Green Bay. Protecting Rodgers will continue to be a priority for the Packers as Rodgers ages. Bakhtiari’s ability to be a standout run-blocker from his left tackle position makes him even more valuable in Matt LaFleur’s scheme.
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
The new contract will take Bakhtiari into his age 34 season. That gives the Packers a chance to lock him up for the rest of his athletic prime. That’s a big reason why Green Bay was willing to pay a premium to make sure he never hit the open market.
Bakhtiari’s decision will be a big disappointment to teams hoping to land a big-name left tackle in free agency. Now both he, and Ronnie Stanley have elected to extend their stay with their current teams rather than wading into free agency. That thins the position group considerably heading into the offseason.
Next. Aaron Rodgers is causing problems for the Packers front office. dark
The Packers deserve credit for getting this deal done in the middle of the season. The longer they waited to reach an agreement the larger the chance of Baktitari leaving was going to grow. Cementing the deal under the cover of darkness was good work by Green Bay’s front office.