The Pittsburgh Steelers may have jumped the gun at cornerback by not waiting for the Green Bay Packers to officially part ways with Jaire Alexander. With the former Pro Bowler’s release imminent, league analysts are pairing him with potential landing spots.
Unfortunately for Steelers fans, one team that keeps popping up is the Baltimore Ravens.
With Ravens looking to make a final push to earn a Super Bowl berth, Alexander could be the final piece to what could be a suffocating defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers better hope Alexander signs with anyone but the Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens could be a prime landing spot for Alexander that would fortify their already stacked secondary and allow for veteran Marlon Humphrey to man the nickel position. Outside of Humphrey and free agent Chidobe Awuzie, the Ravens' cornerback room is young and unproven, leaving the door open for Alexander to make an instant impact.
Despite elite safety play from Kyle Hamilton and a promising rookie campaign from Nate Wiggins, the Ravens relinquished the second-most passing yards per game last season in the NFL. Still, it’s not as though the Steelers were heavy contributors to that statistic, throwing for just 205 and 198 yards in their two meetings in 2024.
Nonetheless, Alexander signing with Baltimore would spell bad news for the Steelers, who lack a proven receiving threat outside of the recently acquired D.K. Metcalf. With the Ravens already fielding a top-notch defense apart from its cornerbacks, the addition of Alexander would prove especially problematic.
One benefit for Pittsburgh would be the familiarity Aaron Rodgers has with Alexander, whose best seasons in Green Bay came before Rodgers departed for New York. Still, while Rodgers flashed late last season that he could return to form, there are huge question marks about the 41-year-old’s ability to play at an elite level at this stage of his career.
The Steelers and Ravens don’t meet until December 7 in Baltimore and January 4 in Pittsburgh, so if Alexander does sign with the Ravens, there will at least be plenty of tape available for Pittsburgh’s new quarterback to dissect before taking the field against his former teammate.
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