After never playing for the franchise following a November trade, cornerback Jaire Alexander has paid back $889,000 to the Philadelphia Eagles, who also received a salary cap credit, league sources told ESPN.
Alexander had been acquired from the Baltimore Ravens along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round selection prior to last season’s NFL trade deadline.
A week later, Alexander decided to step away from football to focus on his physical and mental health amid his ongoing recovery from offseason knee surgery, a league source confirmed to ESPN at the time. The Eagles subsequently placed Alexander on the reserve/retired list.
In connection with the trade, Philadelphia also received forfeiture of Alexander’s signing bonus, sources said. So as a result of Alexander retiring, he was required to pay back the $889,000 to the Eagles instead of the Ravens. The Eagles also received a salary cap credit even though the amount had not counted against their cap when the trade was made, sources said.
Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowler, underwent right knee surgery in January 2025, and he appeared in just two games for the Ravens after signing a one-year deal with them last offseason.
An All-Pro in 2020 and 2022, Alexander played the first seven seasons of his career for the Green Bay Packers before they released him last June.
Information from ESPN’s Tim McManus was used in this report.