Packers make Jaire Alexander NFL’s highest-paid defensive back

The Green Bay Packers can check off the top priority on their summer to-do list.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers and All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander are finalizing a new four-year contract extension worth $84 million.

Schefter reports that the new deal averages $21 million per year.

In terms of average salary per year, Alexander has now become the highest-paid defensive back in the league, according to Spotrac.

The next closest is Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, who is averaging $20 million per year.

This was absolutely the right move by the Packers.

In Alexander, they have one of the best cornerbacks in the league. With Alexander not playing much last season, it could be easy to forget just how good he actually is.

In 2020, Alexander started in 15 games and made 13 pass defenses and an interception. According to Pro Football Reference, quarterbacks throwing his way had a passer rating of just 67.4.

As a result, Alexander was named a second-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.

The Packers have built one of the NFL’s best secondaries and have a ton of talent at cornerback. Green Bay’s trio of Alexander, second-year Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas can be as good as any.

Alexander was set to become a free agent in 2023, so signing him to a long-term deal needed to be a priority this summer.

We all saw what can happen with a star player who isn’t re-signed. Davante Adams didn’t get the deal he wanted last summer and decided he wanted to play elsewhere in 2022. The Packers traded Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Alexander is now under contract until the end of the 2026 season.

Only 25 years old, the All-Pro is entering the prime of his career. The Packers have ensured their superstar cornerback isn’t going anywhere for many years to come.