Jaire Alexander playing for a different team next season feels like the NFL's worst-kept secret.
The Green Bay Packers won't admit they plan to move on from their All-Pro cornerback, although seemingly every report points in that direction.
Alexander hasn't said he is likely gone, but again, his actions speak louder than words.
When healthy, Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He is only 28 years old and, in theory, should still have at least a few more years of top-level play ahead of him. However, the "when healthy" part is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that previous sentence. Alexander has missed 34 of the Packers' past 68 regular-season games. That's exactly half of the last four seasons.
It's not ideal because the Packers already have a cornerback need. Releasing or trading an All-Pro only heightens their problem, but it sure sounds like we're heading in that direction.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst hardly committed to Jaire Alexander returning during NFL Combine press conference
Gutekunst didn't receive any questions about Alexander's future during his official NFL Combine press conference, but his most interesting quote came earlier when he met with local reporters.
According to Cheesehead TV's Aaron Nagler, a reporter asked Gutekunst about whether Alexander will play for the Packers in 2025.
"We'll see. We're working through that. He certainly could be. We gotta get him out there more," said Gutekunst. "Not being able to be out there at his best has frustrated him and that has obviously frustrated our football team too."
Considering Alexander has two years left on his contract, getting a "we'll see" from Gutekunst is pretty telling.
Gutekunst sounded more sure of kicker Brandon McManus returning, a free agent, than the star player under contract through 2026. Of course, he wasn't going to outright say, "Yeah, Jaire is gone." Not only would that be an unprofessional response, but it would also potentially hurt any trade leverage the Packers have.
That's if they have any at all. Teams know Alexander is likely gone and may be unwilling to give up draft picks and take on a big contract for a player who can't stay on the field.
The Packers may have to release their All-Pro and take the cap savings that way. Either way, cornerback sits near the top of their priority list, with NFL free agency fast approaching.