Of all the wild and wacky things that could have possibly come out of this first week of NFL free agency, I think it's safe to say that nobody would have predicted a story about former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander being one of them. It's obviously not No. 1, as that title belongs to the Maxx Crosby saga, but it's certainly still bizarre.
Alexander, of course, spent seven years wearing the Green & Gold after the Packers took him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft with the 18th overall pick, earning two trips to the Pro Bowl and a pair of Second-Team All-Pro selections, with each set of accolades coming in the 2020 and 2022 seasons.
Just ahead of that 2022 campaign, despite playing just four games in 2021, the Louisville alum inked a four-year, $84 million extension, a deal that, at the time, made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
Sadly, however, between the '23 and '24 seasons, Alexander missed 20 games due to injury, thus leading the Packers to release him last June, at which point he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played just two games before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he never took a single snap before somewhat retiring. And that brings us to the bizarre part of our story, as he apparently had to give money to the Birds for failing to suit up.
Jaire Alexander reportedly had to pay the Eagles after failing to play for them
While the Ravens gave Alexander a one-year, $4 million contract, they certainly didn't get their money's worth, but that was actually their choice, as Baltimore designated him as a healthy inactive on five separate occasions. As mentioned, he did play two games, ultimately recording five total tackles but zero interceptions or passes defended.
Alexander was traded to Philadelphia on November 1, just ahead of the team's bye week, and that was exciting, as the Eagles' first game after their break was a Week 10 date with the Packers on Monday night, November 10, at Lambeau Field.
Alexander, however, failed to make the trip, and on November 11, he announced that he was stepping away from the NFL in order to focus on his physical and mental health, at which point the Eagles placed him on the reserve/retired list.
And because of those actions, ESPN's Adam Schefter is now reporting that Alexander was forced to pay the Eagles $389,000, with the Ravens throwing in another $500,000, and that combined $889,000 going toward covering part of his signing bonus and one week's salary.
Schefter also reported that the Eagles were given that same $889,000 in a salary cap credit "even though the amount had not counted against their cap when the trade was made."
So, that's certainly not something you see every day.
The good news for the Eagles—well, the other good news in addition to that cash and the cap credit—is that they didn't give up much at all to acquire Alexander, sending only a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft to the Ravens. And in addition to Jaire, Philly also received a seventh-rounder in the '27 draft. So, it wasn't a bad deal, but it just ended up being very strange.