David Bakhtiari’s journey through injuries has been tough, especially for such a talented player. It’s encouraging to hear that he’s progressing well in his recovery and aiming for a return in the upcoming season. His track record when healthy speaks volumes about his skill and value on the field. It’s understandable that teams would be interested in him, especially with his impressive resume and the potential for immediate impact. If he does end up with the New York Jets, the connection with Aaron Rodgers could certainly make for an intriguing storyline. Bakhtiari’s consistency and dominance when he’s playing at full strength are qualities any team would appreciate.
Injuries have plagued him the last few years, but he is currently on schedule to return for the 2024 season, according to NFL Media. Bakhtiari had a follow-up exam with Dr. Brian Cole, chairman of Orthopedics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and chairman of surgery at Oak Park Hospital, and the evaluation showed that he is on schedule for a return this year. In October 2023, Bakhtiari announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery to fix a cartilage issue in his knee. The 32-year-old has played in just 13 games since the beginning of the 2021 NFL season. He suffered an ACL tear during practice in December 2020, an injury that took some time for him to recover from, resulting in missed games the next season. He played in one game during the 2021 season and 11 games in 2022. When healthy, he has proven to be dominant at his position, earning five All-Pro nods (three second team) and three Pro Bowl honors.
