The Green Bay Packers were able to keep their playoff hopes alive in Week 18 with a dominant victory over the Minnesota Vikings. They won the game 33-10 for an impressive all-around performance in every facet of the game.
It was a truly encouraging performance by the defense, who was without one of their key players. Cornerback Jaire Alexander was suspended for the game because of his pre-game actions the week before against the Carolina Panthers.
“Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together. We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”
The Packers ended up prevailing without their star cornerback, but his actions have certainly brought about some chatter about his future with the team. Could Green Bay look to move on from the 2018 first-round pick out of Louisville?
In the first season of a four-year, $84 million extension, Alexander has disappointed in more ways than one. While certainly capable of performing as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, he has not been close to that level in 2023.
The suspension was just the latest in what has been a rocky season. He is ranked 61st out of 125 qualified players at the position per PFF, too low for a player being paid that much money.
Injuries have played a part, as Alexander has played in only six games. His most recent injury raised speculation that there is something going on behind the scenes between him and the Packers, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
“[Alexander] returned to practice on Nov. 16 but has been inactive every week. In all, he has missed six straight games because of the shoulder (and three more earlier in the season because of a back injury) but never went on injured reserve, which would have freed up a roster spot for at least four games. It’s led to rampant speculation that Alexander, the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at nearly $22 million a year, is sitting out for reasons beyond his injury and that he’s unhappy with the current direction of the defense.”
This is certainly a situation to keep an eye on. Having a shutdown cornerback leading the secondary of your defense is ideal in today’s NFL, but Alexander could become more of a headache than he is worth for the Packers.
If a team offers the Packers a first-round pick in exchange for Alexander, they would think long and hard about pulling the trigger. Moving on from a player that talented would be tough, but another season like 2023 and Alexander’s trade value would disappear.
