I am very surprised.
By this time, I figured that the Packers would have found ways to part with cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Over the last couple years, Alexander has suffered injuries to his groin, back shoulder and knee. He has only played in 14 games in that span as his numbers have fallen off.
The main question is if Alexander really wants to be in Green Bay. When he’s on the field, he is a very solid player, but how bad is he willing to get out there? He’s only played in 37 of 68 in the last four years. I get that injuries are a part of the game, but lots of players play through injuries and pain.
Add on top of that is his massive contract. The 28-year-old corner has a cap hit of $24.9 million in 2025 — which is slotted as the second-highest paid defensive back behind Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr. If you are going to be one of the highest paid players at your position, you have to find a way to get on the field.
It is likely that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is waiting until the draft to make a splash trade. If the Packers trade Alexander before June 1, they can save $6.8 million on the 2025 salary cap. That could give them leverage to move up in the draft to take Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce in the late teens. They then could put another package together and draft Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka late in the first round. I’m sure the crowd gathered around Lambeau Field will love the fact that Gutekunst not only added two great players, but was willing to go for it.
At this point, Alexander offers more questions than answers. His availability is in question and the Packers aren’t sure if he can be trusted. Should defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley design a game plan around Alexander defending Justin Jefferson all week if Alexander is going to make himself an injury scratch a day before the game?
Alexander proved that he was one of the better shutdown corners in the game. In his first three seasons, he tallied 32 pass breakups. In the last four, he has registered just 18.
The Packers want to know what they are getting. If Alexander’s cap hit was $12.5, that would be a lot easier to swallow. But if you’re setting the standard for defensive backs and you’re consistently not seeing the field, that’s a problem.
The closer we get the NFL Draft, I would expect that Gutekunst is cooking up something that could result in something special.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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