The Green Bay Packers decided to move on from Jaire Alexander, but they have inadvertently gifted him the chance to get revenge at the worst time.
Alexander has found his new home, signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. It felt inevitable once two-time MVP Lamar Jackson publicly pushed for the Ravens to sign his college teammate.
The Packers' former first-rounder joining the AFC is the best-case scenario. Anywhere but the Vikings, right? But there's a caveat.
Enter Week 17.
Green Bay and Baltimore don't meet often, but this season is one of those rare showdowns. And the schedule makers have placed it in the midst of late-December, playoff-chasing football. The stakes couldn't be much higher.
Revenge game, you say?
Packers and Jaire Alexander get a chance for revenge at a crucial part of the season
Two days after Christmas, the Packers will welcome the Ravens to Lambeau Field for a matchup that could mean so much to both teams.
Green Bay must overcome three playoff contenders in an NFC North unlikely to be settled by Week 17. Even if one team breaks away and wins the division early, the Packers may need a victory over the Ravens to boost their playoff chances or perhaps their seeding.
The same goes for Baltimore in an equally challenging AFC North. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals present a daunting matchup for the Ravens, while Aaron Rodgers hopes to take the Pittsburgh Steelers back into the Super Bowl conversation.
Who gets the last laugh? Jaire or the Packers?
He has a history of turning up in the big games. Remember his interception in the Packers' 48-32 wild-card win over the Dallas Cowboys? How about the time he picked off Tom Brady twice in the NFC Championship Game? This Packers-Ravens showdown sure counts as a big game for Alexander.
Losing Jaire hurts the defense, but it will become even more bitter for Packers fans if he helps the Ravens win at Lambeau Field. Especially if it hurts Green Bay's chances of winning the division or even clinching a playoff spot.
In a year full of revenge games, we can add another to the list. Sigh.