Packers: Jaire Alexander return nears as he returns to practice

One of the Green Bay Packers‘ injured stars is on the track to return in the near future.

All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, who hasn’t played since Week 4 due to a shoulder injury, could soon be ready to make his return.

According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Alexander is back at practice on Wednesday. This means the Packers’ three-week window to activate him from injured reserve is now underway. Demovsky added that according to head coach Matt LaFleur, Alexander will take part in individual drills.

While Alexander did return to practice on Wednesday, the same wasn’t true for edge rusher Za’Darius Smith or left tackle David Bakhtiari. The wait goes on to get those two key players back on the practice field.

Regardless of whether Alexander can play this week or not, this is great news for the bigger picture of the season. The fact he’s back at practice shows the Packers believe his return is near and within the next three weeks.

That means the Packers should have him back for at least the final couple of games of the season, and then importantly, the playoffs.

Green Bay’s spot in the postseason is almost confirmed. The team should be just fine in the coming weeks without their All-Pro, but they’ll need him once playoff games roll around against the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, or Arizona Cardinals. It’s in those important moments the Packers will need their star defensive player.

So now we wait.

Alexander could return at any time, but the Packers have three weeks to activate him, so it’s entirely possible he won’t be playing again for a few more weeks.

Either way, the team will be hoping to get its three star players back before the end of the season. Alexander’s return to practice is a great start.