Jaire Alexander’s release was always likely, but the timing still caught some people off guard. Just when it seemed like the Green Bay Packers might work something out—a restructured deal or a trade—the team pulled the plug. And in his final weeks as team president, Mark Murphy didn’t shy away from putting a little punctuation on the decision.
Murphy, who is set to retire in July per Green Bay’s mandatory retirement rules, confirmed that Alexander’s time in Green Bay is done. He acknowledged the former Pro Bowler’s talent, but didn’t stop there. Asked to explain why the team moved on, Murphy didn’t bother with spin.
“He has been a great player for us,” Murphy said, via Dave Schroeder of WBAY. “Obviously, elite talent. Unfortunately, just injured a lot. Unfortunately that’s a big part of the game.”
There’s not much ambiguity in that quote. Alexander missed 20 games over the last two seasons and 34 total over the last four. Murphy made it clear those absences played a major role in the team’s decision, and he even doubled down when asked about the state of the current cornerback group.
Jaire Alexander’s exit draws blunt response from Packers president
With Alexander out of the picture, the Packers will likely lean on Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine to carry the load. Whether that works is another conversation, but Murphy gave a pretty blunt answer when asked about the team’s confidence level in that group.
Murphy said “We’ve been used” to playing without Alexander and cited Nixon specifically as a player that the Packers believe will do good things for them in the future.
That’s about as close to a mic drop as you’ll get from someone in Murphy’s role. And it felt pretty intentional—he looked to be out on the golf course while speaking with Schroeder for crying out loud. Nothing like making business decisions while hitting the links, knowing retirement is around the corner.
The Packers have had months to figure out their direction at corner. They opted not to draft serious competition, nor did they bring in notable help during free agency (Nate Hobbs will likely play in the slot).
Now, Alexander is gone and the depth chart is thinner than ever. Murphy didn’t dwell on the risk. He used the moment to defend the decision and frame the uncertainty at cornerback as something the team’s already familiar with.
With both Murphy and Alexander set to leave Green Bay this summer, there’s no real incentive for either side to soften their stance. If Murphy’s final message on the subject was that the Packers can survive without their most talented corner, then his final offseason is going out with a bit more edge than expected.