The Green Bay Packers are parting ways with Jaire Alexander, despite their quarterback’s desperate plea, according to reports.
The Packers are releasing the cornerback after an offseason of uncertainty sparked by two injury-plagued seasons for the 28-year-old.
The franchise and player had agreed to explore a potential trade earlier in the offseason, according to Ian Rapoport.
After failing to clinch a way out of Green Bay before the NFL Draft in April, the two parties reportedly also discussed a restructured contract.
However, with neither option emerging, the Packers and Alexander move on with a clean break.
Alexander played just seven of the team’s 17 regular season games last season amid multiple injury woes.
The Green Bay Packers are releasing Jaire Alexander, according to reports
The release comes just weeks after Jordan Love pleaded with the team to keep Alexander
The cornerback played just seven 17 regular season games last season amid injury woes
Over the past two years he’s managed to suit up for just 16 of of the Packers’ 36 games, including the playoffs, while in the last four years he’s missed half of the franchise’s regular-season games.
Yet, despite his multiple stints on the sidelines, quarterback Jordan Love recently insisted that Alexander was essential to the team.
‘He’s definitely a player we need back,’ Love told Kay Adams said when asked about the All-Pro cornerback back in April.
‘He’s a guy we need around,’ he added during his appearance on FanDuel’s ‘Up & Adams Show’. ‘Locker room, he’s a character. That’s a guy you never know what you’re going to get. With Ja, he’s always a guy that interacts with everybody on the team. He jokes around but he also has that serious side to him as a competitor.’
Alexander, who was selected by the Packers in the first round in 2018, signed a four-year contract extension with Green Bay in 2022 with two years remaining on the $84 million deal.
With Alexander owed $17.5million for the upcoming seasons, it proved tough for the Packers to seal a trade, particularly amid his injury woes.
When healthy, Alexander is one of the most impactful cornerbacks in the league, having earned Pro Bowl nods twice. He is also a two-time second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021.
He has 240 tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown this past season, and 70 passes defended in his seven-year NFL career.
