Jordan Love made it clear where he stood on Jaire Alexander's future. Love told the world Alexander was a "player we need back."
The NFL truly is short for Not For Long, as the Green Bay Packers have now released the All-Pro cornerback they once traded up to land in the first round. Their reasoning? Understandable. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst admitted they couldn't keep Alexander around on such a huge contract after missing 50 percent of the team's games since 2021.
But while the Packers' logic is fair, it doesn't make it any easier to watch a star cornerback walk out of the building for nothing. Just ask Love.
"It's a tough one, it's really tough losing a player of Jaire's caliber," said Love. "Someone that has been here since I got here, someone I was very close with. It's definitely tough. That's how the NFL goes. Tough decisions that are made, and it's all about how we move on and grow from that."
He added that he's "got nothing but love for Jaire."
Ugh, it hurts.
The Packers made the right call to move on, given the circumstances. They reportedly tried to keep Jaire on a revised deal but were unable to come to an agreement. What's inexcusable is the lack of planning for this moment.
Packers' Super Bowl hopes take a hit without Jaire Alexander, and they needed to do more
The Packers didn't act like a team ready to move on from their best cornerback. Despite reportedly trying to trade him earlier in the offseason, they failed to find an ideal replacement.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Green Bay is 10-4 with Alexander but 10-10 without him.
Signing Nate Hobbs makes sense, especially as he can play across the secondary, but he's not an outright replacement for Alexander. The Packers also lost Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochell, so they needed to strengthen their cornerback depth. Hobbs can become a quality starter.
But the Packers lack an outside corner with true lockdown potential, barring a surprise breakout season from one of the young players on the roster. Maybe that won't matter, but it sure helps when you have Super Bowl aspirations.
Of course, there's no guarantee Alexander would've been available. History tells us he'd miss significant time. Releasing him isn't the issue, but not taking a swing at a potential star cornerback is.
The Packers waited until the seventh round of April's draft to make a move at the position. Last year, they passed on multiple early-round cornerbacks, including Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Kamari Lassiter. They were in trade-up range for Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold.
Perhaps they make a trade for Jalen Ramsey or sign a veteran like Asante Samuel Jr. or Stephon Gilmore, but neither option seems particularly likely.
The Packers must adjust without Alexander — he missed a lot of time but is an All-Pro when healthy. Love made it clear where he stood, and his reaction was heartbreakingly predictable.