DAVID BACKTIARI----MORE DRAMA------IS IT REAL ????

[call_me_ishmael]

It'll be interesting to hear what the man himself has to say about this. I doubt he hangs 'em up personally unless he's cut and can't find another big contract.

[Fritz]

Bretsky, you're being overly dramatic. The guy is clearly damaged goods at this point. My guess is he'll play when he can, and mostly not on turf - he seems to have a passionate hatred of it - and when he does play, he'll play well. Tex is full of shit that there was no drop off with Bakh not out there. Rasheed Wallace got his ass handed to him many, many times, and it couldn't have helped the play book that they needed to keep a tight end on the left side to help block.

He's probably done after this year, if he doesn't re-hurt his knee before. But it is what it is, and I don't think he's as big a dick as you make him out to be.

[Teamcheez1]

4 out of our last 7 games are on turf.
If there is still playoff hope, will he step up?

[Joemailman]

His issues might not have anything to do with turf. His knee might not be able to take the pounding of 2 games in a row. If so, not a great situation. You'd like to have some continuity in your OL lineup. Walker might be okay there yet. It was his 1st start. I think his most natural position might be RT though.

[Fritz]

Yosh Nijman could be making himself some real coin if he'd step up and get out of the doghouse.

[run pMc]

Bahktiari is, when available, still a very good LT

Turf will ALWAYS be an issue for him.

10 games of Bahktiari is better than zero.

10 games for $40M is a LOT

I don't think he's alone in hating turf. The big linemen don't like it, it's hard on the joints, and those who get tackled and landing on it also say it's like concrete. Players who wear molded cleats (mostly QBs and kickers IIRC) can get their feet stuck in it and get injured (see: Rodgers, Aaron) as well. Some of the smaller/quicker players like it because they can really cut and move fast on it, but that's about it. If pro soccer players won't play on it, I'm not sure why football players have to. The main reason stadiums have it is so they have a Taylor Swift concert on it two days before the game and not worry about it being trashed and trampled.

I don't think this is a big drama or distraction. The team is just working with Bahktiari's knee as much as they can so he plays as much as he can. I think if there was a playoff game on turf he'd give it a go, but his knee might not react well in the days/weeks following that game.
Given they reworked his contract a bit and paid out a chunk of his salary already means they want him dressing for GB and protecting Love's blindside... for this year. I don't know if he is on the roster next year, especially if they can get something from Rasheed Walker or another OT.

I'm not sure what a team is going to give you for an aging LT who might be able to play the majority of your season. Jets play on turf, I don't think he'd want to play there tbh, even with his buddy Rodgers.

[Joemailman]

Rob Demovsky
@RobDemovsky

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said David Bakhtiari had swelling in his knee leading up to Sunday's game.

"His knee is injured," LaFleur said.

LaFleur does not believe that Bakhtiari's absence was related to turf and that he wouldn't have played if the game was on grass, either.

[RashanGary]

Rob Demovsky
@RobDemovsky

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said David Bakhtiari had swelling in his knee leading up to Sunday's game.

"His knee is injured," LaFleur said.

LaFleur does not believe that Bakhtiari's absence was related to turf and that he wouldn't have played if the game was on grass, either.

He has swelling I’m sure every week. His knee is jacked. I’ll bet the turf played a role. He’s already a gigantic injury risk. No need to make it worse by playing on turf.

[Bretsky]

Bretsky, you're being overly dramatic. The guy is clearly damaged goods at this point. My guess is he'll play when he can, and mostly not on turf - he seems to have a passionate hatred of it - and when he does play, he'll play well. Tex is full of shit that there was no drop off with Bakh not out there. Rasheed Wallace got his ass handed to him many, many times, and it couldn't have helped the play book that they needed to keep a tight end on the left side to help block.

He's probably done after this year, if he doesn't re-hurt his knee before. But it is what it is, and I don't think he's as big a dick as you make him out to be.

I think if Sundays game was on grass he would have played and at this point gb doesn’t know how to spin this

[Bretsky]

Rob Demovsky
@RobDemovsky

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said David Bakhtiari had swelling in his knee leading up to Sunday's game.

"His knee is injured," LaFleur said.

LaFleur does not believe that Bakhtiari's absence was related to turf and that he wouldn't have played if the game was on grass, either.

Now here is the scripted response I would have expected right after the game. He needed an extra
Day to come up with it. Back should retire

[beveaux1]

Now here is the scripted response I would have expected right after the game. He needed an extra
Day to come up with it. Back should retire

If he retires, I believe we still have to pay him. Better to keep him on The roster and play him when available. Cut him next year if he doesn’t retire on his own, which is what will probably happen.

[RashanGary]

Retire and pay back the prorated part of his signing bonus….. nah. Next year is the first time we have a real chance to cut him. And that’s what will happen.

He’s still good though. And it keeps wear and tear off of Rasheed.

[NewsBruin]

From what I've read, even if we hound Bakh for the prorated part of the signing bonus after retirement, that wouldn't get credited back to our salary cap.

It seems to be the custom when someone retires to let them keep the whole of their signing bonus, even though it's written in the agreements that a team can try to claw back the prorated portion. If that won't affect our salary cap, then the stank it puts on our reputation for free agents and extensions isn't worth the Monopoly Money.

[Fosco33]

It’s a strange precedent…

What about weather. Maybe I don’t like playing on rainy or snowy days. Or when it’s not/humid.

Or short weeks.

Or Thursdays.

I think it’s terrible on NFL for turf fields - but this is a mess waiting to happen imo.

[call_me_ishmael]

There's a lot of speculation about insane things here. Is there any reason to think he didn't want to play on turf, or that he's only going to play every other game, or any of the other wild possibilities here? Maybe he really just tweaked it. Who knows. I feel like there is a lot of assuming the worst in folks in here. Bak is an all-world .001% guy in the general population aka a very impressive person in all facets of life. I highly doubt he would mail it in.