It felt inevitable. Matt LaFleur's tone on Jaire Alexander's status had changed somewhat when he spoke to reporters earlier in the week, saying he didn't know whether the All-Pro cornerback would return this season.
LaFleur has now provided an update, revealing that Alexander is unlikely to play again this year. It's a brutal update for the Green Bay Packers just one week away from the playoffs.
"I would expect Ja, most likely, is going to be down the rest of the year," LaFleur said on Wednesday.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Alexander underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday, adding that he could return for the Super Bowl if the Packers reach the big game.
In the meantime, the Packers must run the playoff gauntlet against some of the league's premier passing offenses without their All-Pro.
Jaire Alexander injury could derail Packers' Super Bowl dreams
The Packers will hope to get safety Evan Williams back in time for the playoffs, which would allow Javon Bullard to play in the slot and Keisean Nixon to remain on the outside opposite Carrington Valentine. That's Green Bay's best option without Alexander.
However, as we saw in the Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, one further injury can quickly derail the success of this defense. With Williams and Zayne Anderson hurt, Bullard had to move back to safety, where he struggled and gave up a touchdown to Jordan Addison, and the Packers had to move Nixon back to the slot.
Green Bay surprisingly dismissed the idea of needing cornerback reinforcements last spring, but fans could see this problem coming a million miles away.
They were banking on Alexander, who had played just 27 of a possible 51 regular-season games between 2021 and 2023, to stay healthy. It hasn't happened, with Alexander playing in just seven games this year, including one he left after 10 snaps.
He has only played 14 games since the start of last season.
With rising cap hits coming, it's fair to question whether Alexander will still be on the team next year. Do the Packers need a complete reset at cornerback like they accomplished at safety?
Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine are free agents and may not return in 2025. Alexander has only played one full season in his entire Packers career.
In the meantime, the Packers must find a way to win without Alexander in the playoffs, which will likely require eliminating at least one of the Vikings, Detroit Lions, or Philadelphia Eagles, who they are 0-5 against this season.
Beyond that, cornerback is quickly becoming the Packers' biggest offseason need.