Free agent defensive tackle David Bakhtiari, a five-time All-Pro during his NFL career, is eyeing his next destination in the league and might be interested in the Kansas City Chiefs based on who he wants to play with.
“I want to play with the next Super Bowl MVP. So whoever the hell that’s gonna be I better be with them,” Bakhtiari told ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on the June 18 episode of “The Adam Schefter Podcast.”
It just so happens that the Chiefs have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is the two-time reigning Super Bowl MVP. So, there’s a chance Bakhtiari has his sights set on joining Kansas City on its quest for a three-peat if he believes Mahomes could be named the Super Bowl MVP for a third straight season.
David Bakhtiari Trying to Overcome Lingering Knee Injuries
After 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, the Packers released Bakhtiari in March. Despite being a cornerstone left tackle for former Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, lingering knee injuries — specifically to his left knee which he has had five procedures on — put an end to his tenure with the Packers.
After missing a total of 37 regular season games over the last three seasons, Bakhtiari, 32, told Schefter that he believes his latest knee surgery — which was in November — put him in a position to return to football without any setbacks.
“A lot of other people wanted me to just kind of grit through it, but no one experiences what you truly experience,” Bakhtiari said. “Look, I’ve been gritting through it for three years. I’m in constant pain. I’m so happy now to be on the other side of it and get the actual surgery that I needed because my knee was not in a good place.”
Now that he received the surgery that he believes he needed to turn the corner in his recovery, Bakhtiari can work towards being a franchise left tackle yet again.
“My goal right now is just to make sure that I not only fully recover but I can withstand and play the game that I want to play but also play and be there for a team no matter what,” Bakhtiari said. “I’m not a reliever guy, I am your cornerstone guy. Someone that’s not only going to play in September but in December and into February and obviously hopefully for another couple of years.”
Bakhtiari believes a realistic timetable for signing with a team is between the start of training camp and the beginning of the 2024 regular season. That will ensure he has cleared every medical hurdle needed to return to football.
Would David Bakhtiari Fit With Chiefs?
Bakhtiari’s fit with the Chiefs would ultimately come down to the left tackle competition between Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia.
Both Morris and Suamataia are young and have a lot to prove this summer if they want to be named Kansas City’s starting left tackle. If one of them can prove they are capable of protecting Mahomes’ blindside, then they will be handed the job for the foreseeable future. But if neither can separate themself from the other, then the Chiefs might look outside the building to fill the starting left tackle void. Enter, Bakhtiari.
There’s no guarantee that Bakhtiari — who hasn’t been a reliable starter in four years — will revert to All-Pro form if he returns to football this upcoming season. But if the two-time defending Super Bowl champions signed him to an incentive-ladened deal that pays him well if and only if he remains healthy, then it would give the Chiefs all the protection they need if he doesn’t pan out.
In the end, it would be a potential low-risk, high-reward scenario for Kansas City, and it’s a decision the Chiefs might have to make in the coming months.
