Green Bay Packers vet David Bakhtiari spoke frankly about the team's outlook under Jordan Love.
David Bakhtiari has been with the Green Bay Packers' organization for 10 years. He has three Pro Bowl appearances under his belt. With Year 11 on the horizon, the veteran is being honest about his team's new circumstances.
After spending his entire career protecting Aaron Rodgers in the pocket, Bakhtiari will spend the 2023 season protecting 24-year-old Jordan Love. The Packers are embracing a youth movement following Aaron Rodgers' noisy departure for the New York Jets, with Love cemented as the quarterback of the future.
While some vets might try to gloss over the change or talk in empty platitudes, Bakhtiari was frank in a recent podcast appearance.
Packers vet David Bakhtiari dubs start of Jordan Love era "rebuild"
First, Bakhtiari spoke about the QB change on the "Bussin' With the Boys" Podcast (h/t The Athletic): "Could the Packers be really good? Yeah, I certainly would love that and hope so, but also … Does this look like a rebuild? Probably."
The Packers will publicly broadcast a desire to compete next season, especially with key vets like Bakhtiari and running back Aaron Jones still on the roster. And, depending on your confidence in Jordan Love, maybe the Packers can contend.
But the overwhelming expectation is that Green Bay will slip in the standings while Love adjusts to life as full-time starter. In the face of criticism over his comments, Bakhtiari doubled down.
"I know everyone loved to take the words that I said. To me, flat out … it's disrespectful to say you're not rebuilding off a Hall of Fame quarterback. It was disrespectful to say you weren't rebuilding off of Brett Favre when you moved to Aaron. No one knew who Aaron was and what he was going to be, so I'm not going to sit here and pull back those words."
It's always refreshing to hear players speak honestly and truthfully. He went on to mention the inherent unknowability of the future. Rodgers was surprisingly dominant straight away; maybe it's the same with Love. You can never know for sure. In the NFL especially, a rebuild doesn't always equate to excessive losing. It's possible for young teams to come together and stack wins.
Love has been under the microscope all summer following Rodgers' exit. He's stepping into large, Hall of Fame-sized shoes. Expectations will be high, but it's important to exercise patience. Judging from his comments, Bakhtiari has the right mindset. Anything could happen, but this is a young group with a lot of unfamiliar faces. It will take time to grow organically, and the veteran is prepared to do his part on the frontline.
