Jaire Alexander and the Packers: End of an Era
After two consecutive seasons marked by injuries, the relationship between Jaire Alexander and the Green Bay Packers has come to an end. The team decided to release the prominent cornerback on Monday, ending an offseason saga in which both sides tried to find a middle ground.
Alexander, who had planned to report to the Packers’ mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, after missing all of the in-person voluntary workouts this offseason, was unable to overcome physical issues. The player only participated in seven regular season games in each of the last two seasons and didn’t play after November 17th of last year, despite practicing semi-regularly. He was placed on the injured reserve list in the last week of the season and underwent knee surgery for what he said was a posterior cruciate ligament tear. Still, he finished second on the team in passes defensed (seven) and tied for second in interceptions (two).“In his seven seasons with the Packers, Jaire established himself as one of the most important players in the NFL in one of the most challenging positions in the game. His contributions to our organization were felt on the field, in the locker room, and in our community, and we will miss him,” said Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst in a statement.
Brian Gutekunst, Packers General Manager
This occurred a year after shoulder and knee injuries, in addition to a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, limited him to seven games.
Selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, Alexander had two years left on his contract with a four-year, $84 million extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time. The Packers will save over $17 million in cap space this season.“The reality is that over the last four years for Jaire, it’s about half the games he’s been able to play,” Packers President Mark Murphy told WBAY-TV on Monday.
Mark Murphy, Packers President
Alexander, All-Pro in 2020 and 2022, played in only 34 of 68 possible games since the start of the 2021 season, a year in which he only appeared in four regular season games due to a shoulder injury.
Shortly after the 2024 season ended, sources privately expressed that the team no longer wanted to play the weekly game of whether Alexander would be healthy enough to play or would be willing to play at less than 100 percent.
Gutekunst also said during the offseason that he would be open to trading Alexander.“I know it’s been really, really frustrating not only for him as a player, but also for us as a club,” Gutekunst said shortly after last season. “When you have a player who has done what he’s done for us in the past, and then not being able to have him on the field consistently, that’s tough. You know it’s tough for the player, tough for the organization.”
Brian Gutekunst, Packers General Manager
After the draft passed without a trade, the Packers considered keeping Alexander, but only if he was willing to rework his contract. The Packers went as far as offering Alexander a revised deal in the final days, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
Alexander was due to earn $17.5 million this season, but none of that was guaranteed.
He seemed to know the end was near immediately after the season, when on locker room clean-out day he refused to speak to reporters, saying he had “nothing good to say” and that he didn’t know if he would return in 2025.
In seven seasons, including playoffs, Alexander recorded 15 interceptions.
