As the start of the new league year draws near, teams will begin making roster decisions. Through trades and cuts, notable players will join new teams and paint the picture of what the 2025 season will look like. Speculation has been building for the Green Bay Packers since the final whistle sounded in their playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
What's next for Jaire Alexander?
Cornerback is one of the most talked about position groups for Green Bay. More specifically, those conversations revolve around its two-time All-Pro cornerback.
Alexander has missed significant time in each of the last two seasons, only appearing in 14 regular-season games. Speculation only ramped up when Alexander decided to skip the season-ending media session.
According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, there are "strong indications" that Green Bay will move on from Alexander this offseason, but the team must reconsider.
Packers must find a way to keep Jaire Alexander this offseason
Simply put, Green Bay needs to keep Jaire Alexander for the 2025 season. He is only 28 years old, and in the limited amount he did play last season, he was incredible.
In the seven games he was available for, Alexander had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, a fumble recovery, and 16 tackles. In coverage, he only allowed a completion percentage of 56.7, his best mark since 2021. By comparison, Carrington Valentine allowed a 76.7 completion percentage with a similar amount of targets.
Looking at the advanced stats, when healthy, Alexander is still one of the best corners in the NFL. Per ESPN's Aaron Schatz, Jaire Alexander registered a -43 percent coverage DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average). The lower the number, the better.
Alexander passes the eye test when he is playing. Green Bay can do more defensively when he is on the field, including blitzing. Even if not blitzing, being able to play more man coverage is always positive, as opposed to the consistent zone looks the Packers were forced to play as the season wore on.
Is the money worth it?
Per Spotrac, Alexander is slated to have a cap hit of $25.48 million in 2025 and would have a dead cap hit of $19 million if he is cut or traded before June 1.
If the Packers retain their star cornerback, Alexander is a contract restructure candidate, as that would probably make even the most vocal critics happy. Following a stellar 2021 campaign, Alexander signed a four-year contract extension, which still has two years remaining.
That would leave approximately a $6 million saving. If the team cuts or trades Alexander with a post-June 1 designation, it will create $17 million in cap space but push $10 million onto the 2026 salary cap.
While this is a significant bump in cap space, the team doesn't need it right now. Unlike the past few seasons, Green Bay has a lot of salary cap room without making any massive moves. Various salary cap sites estimate somewhere between $45 and $50 million in cap space, depending on how much the cap increases this season.
While the Packers have some work to do on their roster if they want to contend for a Super Bowl this coming season, moving on from one of your best players is not the way to do it. While a restructure may be ideal, it shouldn't be the most pressing need.
Assuming Matt LaFleur and Jeff Hafley can get on the same page as Alexander, reassure him that he is a key part of the team, and mend any potentially broken fences, he is still one of the best corners in the league.
The Packers are far better off paying Alexander to play for them than paying him to be elsewhere.