David Bakhtiari, Packers Agree to Record Contract Worth Reported $105.5M

The Green Bay Packers and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari have agreed to a record-setting contract extension, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.  

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Bakhtiari signed a four-year contract worth up to $105.5M in new money, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in league history. The contract carries a base salary of $23 million and could reach $23.5 million, per Rapoport.

Rapoport noted Bakhtiari received a $30 million signing bonus, the largest in league history for an offensive lineman. Per Rapoport, the "practical guarantee" totals at least $62.8 million before the end of the 2022 season.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk first reported that the agreement was reached on Saturday night. After Green Bay's win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bakhtiari confirmed the deal, telling reporters he wanted to make history with his new contract:

Bakhtiari, 29, was in the final season of a four-year, $48 million contract and was slated to earn a $10.5 million base salary. Financial terms of the new deal were not immediately disclosed.

Considered one of the best pass-blockers in football, Bakhtiari is coming off his second Pro Bowl selection in 2019. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 78.6, once again highlighting his pass-protection skills. 

A fourth-round pick by Green Bay, the Colorado product gave up only two sacks in 2019 and had the highest pass-block win rate of any offensive tackle, per ESPN. However, he regressed a little against the run after an All-Pro season in 2018.

That the Packers would want to give Bakhtiari an extension comes as no surprise. He's one of the best left tackles in football, and the team just invested a first-round pick in Jordan Love—seemingly Aaron Rodgers' heir apparent. With the 6'4", 310-pound Bakhtiari likely having years' worth of prime football ahead of him, he should eventually become Love's blindside protector when and if the team moves on from Rodgers.

The overwhelming odds are that will happen sometime during the time frame of this extension. 

Had the Packers not been able to reach a long-term agreement with Bakhtiari, it's likely they would have used the franchise tag on him next offseason.