GREEN BAY, Wis. — On a dizzying Monday in March, the Green Bay Packers said goodbye to longtime players David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones. Both were players that made a significant impact during their tenures in Green Bay.

Bakhtiari will go down with the late Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg as the best offensive tackles in Packers history. Jones was productive on the field and impossible not to like off it. His smile could light up a room. He used his platform well, to shine a light on causes important to him.

I’ve been covering the Packers since 1987 and, before that, grew up following them as a fan born in Hartford. It hurts when longtime players leave. I still remember that I could never imagine the Packers without Bart Starr and Ray Nitschke.

The first time I went into the Packers locker room after the departure of Brett Favre, it felt different. It was the same way I felt the first time after Aaron Rodgers and Mason Crosby were gone. I can still tell you where their lockers were, but different players are there now.

Players, even great ones, even memorable ones, come and go. Heck, the same is true for coaches, executives and reporters. The franchise remains.

It’s natural and right to salute terrific players, while understanding that the Packers were around before any of us, and the franchise will be around after us. Bakhtiari and Jones were fun to watch. They were Packers who performed at a high level and will never be forgotten.

Yet, when the Packers play their first game in September, we’ll still watch and we’ll still care. That’s just the way it is in professional sports.