The word “rebuild” comes with the connotation of losing, as most “rebuilding” teams have stripped things down in hopes of building from scratch. However, Bakhtiari insisted on Wednesday that in his mind rebuilding does not mean losing. It’s more of a transition.
“I think the Seahawks have been rebuilt by Russell [Wilson], look how it turned out,” Bakhtiari said. “I can always give you the other side of the coin — I don’t know off the top of my head — but that’s how I look at it, and that’s a simple way to put it. We can slice it, cut it, make it look like who wants to be the hero or the villain of this word, but that’s really what I mean.”
Most took Bakhtiari’s initial comments about the rebuild to indicate he would like to join his close friend Rodgers in leaving Green Bay. However, the 31-year-old insists that is not the case and the Packers are counting on him to help win games in 2023.
“I’m sure it’s difficult [for Bakhtiari], coach Matt LaFleur said. “Any time you have someone that you’re invested in and you’re close to and they move on, it’s hard. But I think he did a great job. He has had a very positive impact, especially in the offensive line. When we come in there, he’s always giving the guys coaching points and tips, so I think he’s done a really good job.”
Green Bay is transitioning to an unknown under center and is young on offense, but this isn’t a talentless team with no vision of how to succeed with the pieces they have. If Love plays well in his first season as a full-time starter, the Packers should still remain in the hunt for a winnable NFC North.