Jaire Alexander's Current Season has Ended. Could his Career with the Green Bay Packers also be Drawing to a Close?
Jaire Alexander's Current Season has Ended. Could his Career with the Green Bay Packers also be Drawing to a Close?
Jaire Alexander's 2022 season seems to be coming to an end.
Now, the question arises if this could mean an end to Alexander's time with the Green Bay Packers as well.
Coach Matt LaFleur stated on Wednesday that Alexander, the Packers' top cornerback, is "most likely" not going to play this season due to a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. ESPN reported that Alexander underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee on Tuesday, and his only chance of returning in 2025 would be if the Packers make it to the Super Bowl.
The Packers have secured a playoff spot and are currently the No. 7 seed in the NFC, which means they'll likely play all their postseason games on the road.
In the last four seasons, Alexander, who is often injured, has only been able to play 34 out of a possible 68 games (50.0%). In three of those years, he managed to play seven games or less. There were also four games since 2021 where Alexander started but couldn't finish, which means he has only played 30 out of the Packers' last 68 games (44.1%).
LaFleur said, "Yeah, I would expect Ja most likely, he’s going to be done for the rest of the year." He added, "It's unfortunate. It is what it is. I feel for him. Obviously, he was trying to get his knee right, it wasn’t getting right, and so, yeah, it’s a tough deal for all of us."
Alexander played in six of the Packers' first eight games this year, then sustained his knee injury against Jacksonville on October 27. He was inactive against Detroit in Week 9 due to his knee injury, then returned against Chicago in Week 11, but left the game after just 10 snaps due to the same injury and hasn't played since.
The Packers believed Alexander would return at some point, which is why they didn't put him on the injured reserve list. But that never happened, and now, it seems Alexander's season is almost certainly over.
LaFleur said, "Yeah, we can go back in time," regarding the decision not to shelve Alexander earlier. But, "That’s not what I’m trying to do right now. It’s the situation. It stinks that we’re here but we’re here."
As for the Packers' future, it remains to be seen.
Alexander, a first-round draft choice in 2018, had three excellent seasons with the team. In 2020, Pro Football Focus ranked Alexander as the top cornerback in football. However, injuries have turned the undersized Alexander into a part-time player.
Alexander missed four games in 2021 due to a shoulder injury, three games in 2023 due to a back injury, six more games due to a shoulder injury, and ten games after his suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.
This season, Alexander missed Weeks 4-5 due to quadricep and groin injuries, and his knee injury has now ended his season.
Turning 28 in February, Alexander is not old but not young either for a little man in a game of giants. His injury history resembles that of David Bakhtiari. And he has been a problem in the locker room.
The Packers can cut ties with Alexander this offseason. And it would be irresponsible for the Packers to rely on him in 2025 and beyond.
Releasing Alexander would save the Packers $6.8 million against the salary cap. They should also have enough salary cap room to sign one of the top corners on the market. With a projected 2025 salary cap of $270 million, the Packers could sign top-tier corners like D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, or Carlton Davis. The Packers also plan to take a cornerback in the first or second round of the draft and give their coaches more reliable options at cornerback than they had with Alexander.
Despite Jaire Alexander's surgery and unlikely return in 2023 due to his injury, Brian Gutekunst, the Green Bay Packers' general manager, may consider releasing Alexander this offseason to save salary cap space. This move could allow the Packers to pursue top-tier cornerbacks like D.J. Reed or Charvarius Ward in free agency or draft a reliable cornerback in the first or second round of the draft.
With Jaire Alexander's 2022 season likely coming to an end due to injury and his injury history, Matt LaFleur, the Packers' head coach, may need to explore other options at cornerback, particularly for the postseason, as the Packers have secured a playoff spot and are currently the No. 7 seed in the NFC, meaning they are likely to play all their postseason games on the road.