Jaire Alexander's season isn't officially over, but the Green Bay Packers have to make the Super Bowl to give him any chance of returning.
This week, head coach Matt LaFleur delivered the brutal news that Alexander required surgery and would "likely" miss the remainder of the season. Alexander had pushed to return in time for the playoffs and even logged several full practice sessions, but after being unable to get back to 100 percent, he underwent surgery.
The Packers decided against placing Alexander on injured reserve earlier in the season with hopes he could return sooner than the required four-game absence. Following his surgery, they were left with no choice but to create the roster spot.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Packers have placed Alexander on injured reserve, which means he will miss at least four games.
The problem is the Packers might not play another four games. They wrap up the regular season against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and then it's playoff time. The earliest Alexander can return is Super Bowl LIX, but the Packers must first win three road games without their All-Pro cornerback.
Packers must go on a playoff run without Jaire Alexander
The Packers will have opportunities to strengthen the cornerback position in the offseason, but that does little to help them now. They already face the daunting task of entering the playoffs as the No. 6 or 7 seed, depending on Sunday's results, but now face an even more challenging task without Alexander.
Last year, the All-Pro only played seven regular-season games but featured in both playoff contests. Per PFF, he allowed just four receptions for 37 yards and one interception in the postseason, allowing a passer rating of just 43.8 in his coverage.
Hopefully, key contributors, including Evan Williams and Quay Walker, will return in time for the wild-card round. The Packers will need a strong performance from the entire defense to take pressure off the secondary, but the pass rush needs to improve, which LaFleur noted.
Barring a Super Bowl run, Alexander's season is over. It's not even guaranteed that he would return for the big game, but he will be eligible to play after a four-game absence.
Beyond this season? Who knows? The Packers have several big decisions to weigh up in the offseason, including Alexander's future after missing exactly half of the team's regular-season games over the past four years.