By FanHub Insider | April 22, 2025
GREEN BAY, WI — Sometimes, it’s not just about football.
Sometimes, it’s about a legacy written in silence, in pain, in loyalty.
And for David Bakhtiari, that legacy may have just reached its final chapter in Titletown.
🟢 11 Years. One Jersey. One Wall.
Drafted in the fourth round in 2013, few expected Bakhtiari to become the backbone of Aaron Rodgers’ blindside for nearly a decade.
But that’s exactly what he did.
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3× All-Pro
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5× Pro Bowl
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131 games started
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Countless sacks prevented, hits absorbed, and playoff hopes kept alive
“He wasn’t flashy,” one former teammate said.
“He was better — he was a wall.”
😔 The Injuries No One Saw Coming
Bakhtiari was once the most reliable man in Green Bay — until the New Year’s Eve ACL tear of 2020.
Since then?
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Multiple knee surgeries
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Just 13 games played in the last 3 seasons
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Missed both playoff runs in 2021 and 2023
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Finally released by the Packers in March 2025
GM Brian Gutekunst was emotional:
“It’s hard to put into words what David meant to this franchise. He gave us everything — and then some.”
💬 Rodgers Reacts
No farewell is complete without the guy he protected.
“Bak was the best lineman I ever played with. Period,” said Aaron Rodgers on his podcast.
“He deserves to walk into the Hall with his head high.”
🛠️ What’s Next?
Bakhtiari has hinted at retirement, but also keeps the door open if his knee holds up.
“I love football,” he tweeted.
“But I also love walking up stairs without pain.”
If this is the end?
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Expect a Packers Hall of Fame induction
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Maybe even a Lambeau farewell ceremony in September
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And a permanent place in the hearts of Cheeseheads everywhere
🧠 A Player. A Culture. A Legacy.
You don’t just replace David Bakhtiari.
You rebuild, you reload — but you never forget.
Because No. 69 wasn’t just a lineman.
He was a standard.
