Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari played the season opener on the grass in Chicago but did not play on the turf in Atlanta in Week 2.
Bakhtiari’s older brother, former Titans and 49ers linebacker Eric Bakhtiari, intimated in a social media post that the three-time Pro Bowler was taking a stand against turf.
“If I wasn’t going to play on turf, I’d probably make more of a ruckus,” Bakhtiari said Wednesday, via Bill Huber of SI.com. “My brother loves drama and he told me he was going to do it, and I’m like, ‘Go right ahead, I don’t give a shit. I don’t care what you do. It’s your social media.’ No, that was not the reason. At all. I clearly have an injury I’ve been dealing with.”
Bakhtiari made his opposition to turf well known after his good friend, Aaron Rodgers, tore his Achilles tendon on a turf field in the season opener. Bakhtiari reiterated his feelings about turf Wednesday, saying, “The game’s already violent enough; all I’m saying is don’t add more to it.”
But Bakhtiari also made it clear he is pissed with speculation he abandoned his teammates to protest turf. (Never mind that it was his brother who was responsible for the speculation.)
“I would never leave them hanging out to dry,” Bakhtiari said. “I signed up to play. I plan on playing. And when I can play, I’m going to play. Clearly, if I’m not playing, there’s something going on. It’s not like it’s been a secret. It’s something I’ve been battling with and it’s been shitty. It’s been weighing on me a lot.
“You think I don’t want to play? You think I want to be a great football player and then just disappear? Hell no. I appreciate Gutey [General Manager Brian Gutekunst]. We’ve had plenty of talks. He’s been amazing with me and being even able to vent to him about it. It’s just been extremely stressful. But the human side, just been sitting here quietly and saying whatever it is, I just have to take it for what it is.”
Bakhtiari does not yet know whether he will be physically ready to play this week or on a short week next week, but both games are at home on the grass at Lambeau Field.
