The business nature of the NFL all but forces teams to make mistakes. Even under the best of circumstances, teams have to make moves that they would prefer not to make.
The Green Bay Packers are no exception, and while the front office certainly made moves in the best interest of the organization, the on-field product could shape a situation in such a way that the franchise will ultimately regret not handling it better.
The writing had been on the wall for some time that Jaire Alexander would depart from Green Bay, but now that he is gone, the Packers have a significant issue on their hands. Replacing Alexander with a comparable talent seemed out of the question anyway, but the drop-off at cornerback is one the franchise is sure to notice.
The Packers' drop-off at cornerback could be too much to ignore
Of course, no one can blame the Packers for cutting Alexander. He didn't want to be in Green Bay anymore, and his availability-to-contract ratio made him practically untradeable. But the Packers also didn't get out ahead of the move in a satisfactory way.
They allowed Eric Stokes to walk in free agency, so with him and Alexander out of the picture, the Packers head into the 2025 season with Keisean Nixon and free-agent signing Nate Hobbs as their starting outside corners.
Both players have been rather average in their NFL careers, which leaves Green Bay in a precarious position in a division that features arguably the best wide receiver in football and one of the most explosive offenses in the entire league.
Heading into training camp, the Packers don't have many options in free agency to turn to. Veterans like James Bradberry and Kendall Fuller are still available, but Bradberry gave up 11 touchdowns last season, while Fuller missed six games in 2024 and hasn't been much better than average in coverage himself in recent seasons. Stephon Gilmore is available, too, but he'll be 35 soon, which doesn't exactly indicate he can play savior in Green Bay's defensive backfield.
If there are no further additions, which seems the most likely course of action, then Green Bay will need to see its starters make significant strides while hoping that the depth can step up if called upon. For what it's worth in that regard, Hobbs hasn't played a full season yet in his four-year career.
This scenario is all the Packers' own doing, even if Alexander can share some of the blame as a difficult personality. Still, the blame can't fall on his shoulders if the Green Bay pass defense takes a step back after ranking 13th in the NFL a season ago.