Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Packers veteran reiterates, clarifies rebuilding comments

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari made some waves earlier this offseason when he spoke about the team as rebuilding in the aftermath of the Aaron Rodgers trade.

Nobody in the Packers' front office has ever used the word "rebuilding" to describe the current state of the team, and running back Aaron Jones has hit back at the notion, but Bakhtiari doubled down on his assessment this week at the team's OTAs, per ESPN.

He also explained that rebuilding does not necessarily mean the team will not win this season.

"How I look at is, it's disrespectful to say you're not rebuilding off a Hall of Fame quarterback. It was disrespectful to say you weren't rebuilding off of Brett Favre when you moved to Aaron. No one knew Aaron and what he was going to be, so I'm not going to sit here and like pull back those words because that is, when you look at how it's been building, how we were chasing after it and the cap - there was a bunch of situations that can definitely allude to it - we have a young team."

He went to draw a comparison to last year's Seattle Seahawks and how they were able to remain competitive after trading their own franchise icon. 

It is not a terrible comparison, either.

When the Seahawks dealt Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for a bounty of draft picks and players, there was a belief that the team was doomed to be one of the worst in the NFC and be years away from contention, especially with a career journeyman in Geno Smith taking over as the starter.

Instead, Smith put together a career year and became the team's new franchise quarterback, while Seattle was able to stay competitive in a wide open NFC West and earn a surprising playoff berth. Now the Seahawks look primed to be a consistent contender in the NFC, especially after all of the draft picks it got from Denver.

Green Bay did not get the same type of return for Rodgers, but also might have a better in-house quarterback ready to take over. Jordan Love remains unproven, but he was a first-round pick and has been their quarterback-in-waiting for years. 

The NFC North is also extremely wide open.

The Chicago Bears have promise, but were the worst team in the NFL a year ago. The Minnesota Vikings also seem primed for a regression after winning more one-score games than any team in the league. Detroit might be the preseason favorite in the division, but even it is far from a sure thing.  

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Notre Dame scheduling update could spell end of historic USC rivalry
Michael Strahan, Eli Manning could enter into unexpected competition
NBC Sports makes questionable decision for 2025-26 NBA production
Scottie Scheffler makes controversial decision leading up to PGA Championship
Watch: Missed tripping call aids Maple Leafs in Game 1 win
Insider updates how much 49ers' Brock Purdy could make via contract extension
Former Raiders HC makes his return to football
Knicks shut down Celtics late in comeback Game 1 OT win
Watch: Aaron Gordon's game-winner stuns Thunder in Game 1
Ravens downplay Justin Tucker's release with a tone-deaf statement
Why Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson might not want to celebrate COY win
Spurs' Gregg Popovich embracing new role with team after retiring as HC 
Michigan HC Sherrone Moore to be suspended two games
Scottie Scheffler sticks it to Phil Mickelson with emphatic win in Texas
Sporting Kansas City joins the pantheon of impossible MLS victories
Patriots legends rip Giants' Abdul Carter over Lawrence Taylor number request
NASCAR power rankings: Defending champion rises after surprising Texas triumph
Closest MLB-ready prospect for each AL team
Padres' bats come alive in eighth to steal win at rainy Yankee Stadium 
Watch: Mets 1B Pete Alonso crushes 425-foot HR