The Packers have finally made a decision on two-time Pro Bowl corner Jaire Alexander.
Green Bay was looking to either trade or release the veteran corner, and it appears no trade could be agreed upon. As a result, the team opted to release the cornerback.
The 28-year-old will now test free agency for the first time in his career.
Alexander played his college ball at Louisville. The Packers took him 18th overall, and he has been the organization’s top corner when healthy. That last qualifier is important as Alexander has dealt with injuries the last two seasons that have limited him to playing just 14 of a possible 34 regular-season games.
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Here is more on Green Bay’s decision to release Alexander.
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Why did Green Bay release Jaire Alexander?
Alexander signed a massive contract extension after his rookie deal was up. The corner inked a four-year, $84 million deal that began in 2023. He had two years left on his deal, which was set to run through his age-30 season. Alexander should have something left in the tank if he can get on the field.
The timing of the release is interesting. Free agency has come and gone, as has the 2025 NFL Draft. We don’t know what Green Bay was asking for in return for the corner, but now they are choosing to pay him not to play for them. The Packers will still owe him $17.04 million in dead cap, but that will be split over the 2025 and 2026 seasons due to the post-June 1st release. He is free to sign with any team he wants, provided he passes a physical.
Green Bay must have a lot of confidence in its cornerback depth. The move to release Alexander saves them money over the next two years, but will also force some players into bigger roles who weren’t able to play over the corner when he was there.
The two sides were working on a revised contract, per ESPN. The goal was to come to an agreement ahead of mandatory minicamp, and when that didn’t happen, the two sides decided to part ways.
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Jaire Alexander contract
Alexander was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Green Bay chose to exercise the fifth-year option on the corner and signed him to a four-year, $84 million contract that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time.
He had two years left on his deal when the Packers released him. Since it was a post-June 1 cut, Alexander’s $17 million in dead cap will be split between the 2025 and 2026 seasons, helping to free up cap space for Green Bay.
Jaire Alexander age
Alexander was born on February 9, 1997. He is 28 years old and will turn 29 around the time of the 2026 Super Bowl. Alexander should have more games ahead of him, but his recent injury concerns are, well, concerning. He has only played in seven of a possible 17 games in each of the last two seasons.
Jaire Alexander stats
Here are Alexander’s career stats from his time in Green Bay.
| Season | Games | Tackles | Interceptions |
| 2018 | 13 | 66 | 1 |
| 2019 | 16 | 58 | 2 |
| 2020 | 15 | 51 | 1 |
| 2021 | 4 | 13 | 1 |
| 2022 | 16 | 56 | 5 |
| 2023 | 7 | 27 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 16 | 2 |
| Total | 78 | 287 | 12 |
Packers CB depth chart
Here is a look at the projected cornerback depth chart for Green Bay after Alexander’s release.
| No. | Player |
| 1 | Keisean Nixon |
| 2 | Carrington Valentine |
| 3 | Micah Robinson |
| 4 | Isaiah Dunn |
| 5 | Kahzir Brown |
| 6 | Tyron Herring |
| 7 | Gregory Junior |
Green Bay now has a glaring need at cornerback. Miami has long been trying to trade their corner Jalen Ramsey, and the release of Alexander could pave the way for the Packers to be a top landing spot now.
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