The Packers made the right call on Jaire Alexander

In his prime, Jaire Alexander had few equals among his peers. But that time has passed, and the Packers deserve credit for accepting that reality and making a difficult, polarizing decision.

Before the Micah Parsons trade, team president Mark Murphy’s retirement, and the summer of Matthew Golden, the Green Bay Packers had another significant matter to address: the future of cornerback Jaire Alexander.

The All-Pro corner, once the centerpiece of their secondary, had reached a fork in the road. Alexander continued to perform at a high level on the field, holding opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of merely 79.9. That mark led all cornerbacks on the roster in 2024, as did his two interceptions and defensive touchdown.

However, despite Alexander’s flashes, he simply couldn’t stay out of the training room. He missed over half the season for the third time in four years. This time, Alexander’s absence derived from a PCL injury suffered in the waning moments of Week 8’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He used the following two weeks to rest and recover before suiting up against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. That return lasted just 10 snaps.

That would prove to be Alexander’s final game of 2024. Attempts to work his way back to the field -- including multiple weeks of essentially full practice work -- didn’t result in another appearance. Alexander finally underwent surgery on or around New Year’s Day, ending any chance of a return that season. The team confirmed the news by placing him on injured reserve in Week 18.

“I know it’s been really, really frustrating for not only him as a player, but us as a club,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in his season-closing press conference. “When you have a player who’s done what he’s done for us in the past, and then not being able to get him out on the field consistently, that’s tough. It’s tough on the player, tough on the organization.”

In that moment, it seemed reasonable to assume Alexander no longer had a place in Green Bay. In addition to the multiple recent injury-plagued seasons, the corner had missed time after the Packers suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team. His contract also included some large cap numbers but a comparatively light dead-money figure if terminated. Even if the relationship between player and club hadn’t totally frayed, momentum had built toward a separation.

But as the new league year arrived and teams across the NFL finalized their cap casualties, Alexander remained on the Packers’ roster. Gutekunst officially kept open the door to a reconciliation or, failing that, a desire to recoup value in a trade. This led to an extensive waiting period, with Alexander posting on social media about workouts with Xavier McKinney and the coaches largely avoiding making any affirmative statements about his future.

At one point, Alexander’s return did appear truly on the table. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer intimated as much in a post-draft mailbag column. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler painted a similar picture just a few days later, and his colleague, Peter Schrager, described the Packers’ relationship with Alexander as “in a good place.”

Whatever positive developments might have transpired behind the scenes didn’t ultimately result in an extended tenure. On June 9, the Packers officially released Alexander, making him a street free agent and allowing him to sign with any team without compensation flowing back to Green Bay. The veteran corner signed with the Baltimore Ravens just 10 days later, agreeing to a value contract in part to compete for a Super Bowl.

Green Bay’s decision divided media and fans alike. Some saw Alexander’s departure as problematic as it left the team without an obvious field tilter at cornerback. Others felt the defense had already provided proof of concept given how little Alexander played in 2024. Still, neither side would know for sure until seeing what unfolded on the field during the upcoming season.

Well, not even four weeks into the 2025 campaign, the Packers appear to have made the right call.