While reports about Jaire Alexander's knee injury have mostly been positive, his comments tell a different story.
Alexander told The Athletic he suffered a tear in his PCL in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It sidelined him for the Packers' loss against the Detroit Lions, and the All-Pro cornerback attempted to return last week against the Chicago Bears.
It lasted all of 10 plays, as Alexander couldn't continue. He hasn't practiced since, putting his status in jeopardy for this week's game against the San Francisco 49ers and potentially beyond that.
Fans will criticize Alexander for missing time, and while the frustrations are understandable, there's not much he can do about a PCL tear. It's an injury that requires time to recover. It raises more questions about the Packers' decision to rush him back against the Bears.
Jaire Alexander reveals he suffered a setback in Packers' win over Bears
In Alexander's own words, they didn't know whether he would play until a "few minutes before" they had to make a decision, but after only 10 plays, he "felt something."
"If you know how (posterior cruciate ligaments) work, it don't just get done in three weeks, so it just needed more time," Alexander told The Athletic. "I reaggravated it going back out there and only doing 10 plays, so now we just trying to get my knee back right."
The question for the Packers now is simple: Why? If the injury required longer than three weeks, and Alexander was a legitimate game-time decision, why rush him back? Of course, the medical staff understand the injury and risks far more than we ever could, but based on what Alexander said, it seems like a strange decision.
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Clearly, in hindsight, it was a bad call. Alexander could only manage 10 plays and said he "reaggravated" it by playing.
When could he return? "I don't know," Alexander said.
It seems highly unlikely he will play against the Niners. He hasn't practiced this week. There's a quick turnaround to the Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins, and then the Packers play on Thursday Night Football against the Detroit Lions. That's three games in 12 days.
It's not unreasonable to assume he could miss all three, which then raises the question of whether the Packers should place him on injured reserve, which would require a minimum of four games on the sidelines.
That would give Alexander additional time to get fully healthy and return in time for (hopefully) a playoff run.
In the meantime, the Packers may need to face three top-tier offenses in 12 days without their All-Pro cornerback.