Sad news: The Green Bay Packers have just announced one of their best players suspensions.
In 2022, cornerback Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers received a four-year contract extension, making him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. He immediately made it worthwhile with an All-Pro campaign. But by 2023, things were becoming more hazy.
Alexander appeared in just seven games during the regular season and the two postseason games due to multiple injuries (ankle, shoulder, and back) and a team-imposed ban for actions that were harmful to the Packers. Alexander concluded his odd season with a mysterious Instagram post.
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It’s challenging to interpret it precisely. It could simply be a post to cap off the season, or it could be an indication of wanting to move on. In any case, things appear to be going considerably better between Alexander and the Packers than they were prior to the suspension in week 17.
Head coach Matt LaFleur answered, “I thought he did an outstanding job,” when questioned about Alexander’s reaction to the ban. “Whether it’s in football or life, there are moments when adversity makes you stronger. We had an amazing talk only a minute ago, as Ja can sit here and tell you. Even though it was difficult for everyone present, I believe that we will communicate at a more clearer and more consistent level going forward. A lot of positive things did in fact come out of that.”
And there’s already the age factor. Yes, at 26 years old, Alexander is still a youthful man. However, cornerbacks’ careers are typically shorter than that of running backs’. He recently completed his sixth season in the NFL, and that is worrisome for older cornerback prospects.
Considering everything, a trade might not be completely out of the question. However, that would have to make up for a number of things, and the cost would probably be too high for any club that wanted to acquire it. There’s not much of a reason for the Packers to move on if the price isn’t too exorbitant.
Justifications for retaining Jaire
To begin with, Alexander remains a top-tier talent. He has made the Second Team All-Pro in two of the previous four years and has missed the other two due to injury. It implies that the cornerback is still a top player when healthy; you saw this during the season’s closing stages, when he had a significant influence and the defense suffered without him.
