Coming into Week 11 of the 2024 college football season, the Colorado Buffaloes have a crucial game ahead of them. Deion Sanders’ side will take on Texas Tech at the Jones AT&T Stadium, coming off two wins on the bounce (currently with a 6-2 record). A win would take them closer to potentially playing in the Big 12 championship game and the possibility of making the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. With the match-up set to have repercussions in the NCAA scene, it might also have some in the NFL.

At least, that’s what was evident from former Buff David Bakhtiari’s tweet.

Since the Green Bay Packers parted ways with the offensive tackle this offseason, Bakhtiari has been in free agency. The Wisconsin-based franchise drafted him in the 2013 NFL draft, and for 11 seasons, he’s stayed loyal to the team. But it looks like he’s also stayed loyal to the Colorado Buffaloes, whom he played for from 2009 to 2012. Or he just has that much confidence in Deion Sanders’ leadership, who seems to have helped the Buffs turn a page.

But whatever the reason, David Bakhtiari used the Week 11 game as an opportunity to make a proposition to not just Patrick Mahomes but also the Kansas City Chiefs. He tweeted, “Hey [Patrick Mahomes], if your Texas Tech beat my CU Buffs, I’ll come play left tackle for you.” From 2014 to 2016, Mahomes played for the Red Raiders, and in 2017, the Chiefs drafted him in the first round. Since then, he’s transformed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But who’s been protecting him this season?

It’s been either Wanya Morris or rookie Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle. But Mahomes has been sacked 16 times in 8 games, averaging 2 per game. And that isn’t really a good sign. So David Bakhtiari, who played left tackle for Aaron Rodgers from 2013 to 2022 in the Packers, saw an opening and took it.

Rodgers had already earned his stripes for the Packers when Bakhtiari arrived in 2013. And with Bakhtiari by his side, the now-Jets quarterback had a passer rating of 101.5! But apart from building a strong partnership on the gridiron, they also became close friends off the field, which is presumably what prompted a fan to reply, “So you’re cheating on Aaron Rodgers now, huh?” 

Bakhtiari’s response? “He was the first to commit infidelity,” hilariously referring to the fact that Aaron Rodgers left the Packers, leaving his left tackle behind. In his book, Rodgers’ partnership with Tyron Smith in New York was akin to cheating. But every once in a while, you have to make a decision to stay or leave. With age catching up, Aaron Rodgers had to find alternatives, particularly after they drafted Jordan Love with the intention of making him the new starting quarterback. But Bakhtiari understood his quarterback’s decision.

At least, that’s what was evident from his emotional message for Rodgers when the Jets confirmed the deal.

After the Jets confirmed Aaron Rodgers’ move to New York in 2022, Bakhtiari posted a carousel of pictures with the quarterback through the years. He wrote, “I hate goodbyes, and this one especially. The chapter is over on this one, but this friendship is a lifetime. You’ve been so instrumental in my life, and I just wanna say thank you. And I love you, brother. Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” Interestingly, this was the same message he ended his own goodbye message to the Packers this year.

Sharing a highlight reel of his time in Green Bay, David Bakhtiari wrote, “A lot of emotion in this. I just want to say THANK YOU, Green Bay. Thank you for the last 11 years. It’s been a hell of a run. I always wanted to raise a Lombardi on Lombardi avenue, but I will never complain. I gave it my all. I always gave it my best no matter the circumstance and to me, that truly was enough.” Acknowledging everyone on the team as well as his family, the 33-year-old concluded, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

Rodgers reacted to the farewell message with a simple “❤️.” That said, while David Bakhtiari may have jokingly written that his former quarterback’s move to the Jets was “infidelity,” it’s clear that there’s nothing but love and respect between the two of them. Especially considering how much support the offensive tackle has shown Rodgers in the past couple of years.

David Bakhtiari has stood by Aaron Rodgers through thick and thin

In his farewell message to Green Bay, Bakhtiari wrote, “For whatever happens next, I look forward to it.” For quite some time in the offseason, it looked like a reunion with Rodgers was what would happen next for the offensive tackle. However, the offseason came and went, and the Jets didn’t sign Bakhtiari. That said, though, he’s made sure to keep up with everything Rodgers-related even after the quarterback switched allegiances.

When Aaron Rodgers arrived in New York, there was an aura around him. But in the first few minutes of his Jets debut in 2023, he suffered an Achilles injury, ruling him out for the rest of the season. It was heartbreaking. Even for David Bakhtiari. “I was just gutted for him,” he said. “I know all that he was dealing with and how excited he was, and I know how much the game means to him. For it to go that quick, especially with that type of injury and having to bounce back from that, it’s going to be tough.”

After all, he knows a thing or two about season-ending injuries. Over the past three seasons, Bakhtiari made only 13 of 51 possible appearances due to chronic knee problems that required four surgeries. It started when he tore his left knee ACL on December 31, 2020. Since then, he’s only had 25 starts. Coming back to Aaron Rodgers, leading up to this season, some differences popped up between him and now-former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

One of the incidents that caught many people’s eye was Rodgers’ “unexcused” absence from mandatory minicamp. Defending his friend, Bakhtiari tweeted, “Friendly reminder that teams don’t win games in June. Teams can only lose games (injuries) during this time.” But now that the season is well underway, things haven’t gone the Jets’ way (they have a 3-6 record).

Rodgers needs to unite his O-line to score more points. While he struggles with injuries, acquiring many players like Davante Adams hasn’t helped the locker room either. This is problematic for the interim head coach, Jeff Ulbrich. Aaron Rodgers and the new coach have to carry the responsibility on their shoulders if they want to qualify for the playoffs. Otherwise, the season could get over anytime.