Jaire Alexander
Getty
Former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander on November 17, 2024.
Following the conclusion of organized team activities (OTAs) last week, the Buffalo Bills are preparing for the start of mandatory veteran minicamp, which kicks off on June 10.
While it’s getting late in the offseason, the Bills may still be fine-tuning their roster after the Green Bay Packers suddenly released cornerback Jaire Alexander on Monday, June 9.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Green Bay and Alexander “agreed to explore a potential trade this spring, while a restructured contract was also discussed. In the end, Green Bay and Alexander move on with a clean break.”
According to MMBQ’s Albert Breer, however, Alexander pushed for an outright release due to the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
“He’s due $17.5 million this year,” Breer wrote in April. “And, because of his recent injury history, that’s shown to be a bit rich for interested teams. Alexander, meanwhile, would rather be cut so he can pick his destination, and he might not be willing to help with a contract adjustment to facilitate a trade.
“I would think, at this point, the most likely scenario is that he’s back on a reduced contract that has incentives. We’ll see.”
ESPN Analyst Mina Kimes Immediately Linked Jaire Alexander to the Bills
Jaire Alexander
GettyFormer Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander at AT&T Stadium on January 14, 2024.
After news of Alexander’s release broke, ESPN’s Mina Kimes posted on Threads, “Off the top of my dome, teams that make sense for Jaire Alexander: Baltimore, LA, SF. Maybe Buffalo.”
The “maybe” part could come from the Bills’ current cap space. According to Over The Cap, the Bills have the least amount of cap space in the entire league, with approximately $1.68 million left on the books.
However, Bills general manager Brandon Beane can always shuffle around some money and make room, especially since they already showed interest in the 28-year-old cornerback.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz posted on Monday, “The #Packers and #Bills held trade talks this offseason centered around CB Jaire Alexander, but talks ultimately fell through and Buffalo moved on. It’s unclear if the Bills will revisit things now that Alexander has been released — especially since they spent a first-round pick on Maxwell Hairston — but they were a team that had shown real interest.”
Should the Bills Make a Move for Jaire Alexander?
Jaire Alexander
GettyFormer Packers corner Jaire Alexander at Lambeau Field on January 07, 2024.
The Bills made addressing the cornerback position a priority this offseason. In March, they locked in Christian Benford to a four-year, $69 million extension that included $37.6 million guaranteed.
During the 2025 NFL draft, the Bills selected Hairston with the No. 30 overall pick before drafting Virginia Tech cornerback Dorian Strong in the sixth round. Buffalo also re-signed Dane Jackson and former first-rounder Tre’Davious White to one-year deals.
Due to Alexander’s extensive injury history, he’s two years removed from his last All-Pro season, it shouldn’t cost much to land the 28-year-old. Based on Breer’s report, the 2018 first-round pick seems more intent in landing with a contender, like a team led by the NFL’s reigning MVP, than landing another big contract.