JUNE 10: The Packers had the option of splitting the dead money charge from the Alexander release across the next two years. Instead, Schneidman reports the team will take that hit in full in 2025. As a result, Alexander will account for $17.04MM this year before coming off the books entirely in 2026.
JUNE 9: Jaire Alexander‘s time in Green Bay has come to an end. After talks regarding both a trade and a restructure took place this offseason, the Pro Bowl corner will hit free agency. Alexander is being released today, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The move is now official.
The team spoke with Alexander’s camp yesterday, Dianna Russini and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic add. It was during that meeting that the 28-year-old learned he would be let go. Instead of continuing to pursue a trade or a pact keeping Alexander in Green Bay at a reduced rate, team and player will now go their separate ways. Despite the financial impasse the parties arrived at, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes Alexander was planning to attend this week’s mandatory minicamp.
[RELATED: Alexander’s Contract Impeded Packers’ Trade Efforts]
Two years remained on the former first-rounder’s contract, one which included nonguaranteed base salaries for the remainder of the pact. Alexander was due to carry cap charges of $24.64MM and $27.02MM, figures which were not feasible from the team’s perspective given his inability to remain healthy in recent years. By making this move after June 1, the Packers will see $17.12MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of $7.52MM.
Alexander has spent each of his seven NFL seasons in Green Bay, operating as a full-time starter throughout his time with the team. The Louisville product has been one of the league’s top corners when healthy, and he collected a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020 and ’22. During the latter campaign, Alexander set a new career high with five interceptions while recording double-digit pass deflections (14) for the fourth time. Both years since then, however, he has played only seven games.
That lack of availability has made Alexander’s Packers future a talking point for some time now. A trade was not only explored in this case, but the team shopped him prior to free agency. No agreement was worked out on that front, and shortly after the new league year began Green Bay inked Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48MM pact. The former Raider will be a key member of the Packers’ new-look secondary this season as the team looks to move forward without a defensive mainstay in the fold any longer.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how much of a market develops for Alexander late in the offseason. Suitors were understandably hesitant about parting ways with draft capital given his injury issues and the possibility of a release taking place. Now that Alexander is indeed set to become a free agent, any number of teams have the financial wherewithal to pursue what will no doubt be a short-term deal. Alexander was the league’s highest-paid corner at the time he inked his Packers extension, but his earning power will of course be greatly reduced this time around.
Jalen Ramsey looms as another high-profile corner available to interested teams, although the Dolphins All-Pro will (in all likelihood) be acquired via trade. Alexander, by contrast, can begin lining up visits with suitors once his release is processed later today.
Guess all that trade interest was really just the usual smoke and mirrors.
And the Pack barely drafted any CBs the past two years. Ouch.
Gute strikes again
The Packers long history of first round failures at the DB position proves it’s a position with ax extremely high fail rate and is rarely worth spending draft capital on. But you knew that….
This is nonsense.
Drafting a corner in the first round is the best way to get a shutdown corner during his prime rather than paying one a boatload of cash later on and hoping he stays healthy.
Name all the “shutdown corners” GB has drafted in the last three decades. I’ll wait….
They were supposed to be coming out of college. You know the ESPN people that everybody’s a freak athlete sneaky can run down anywhere can stop the run or the pass. that kind of junk that they talk on ESPN by the very very very bi Mel kiper. By the way man I had to tell the FBI you were at the protest they came to my house and they had your picture so I had to say I knew you sorry man.
Because Green Bay is bad at drafting corners in the first round, doesn’t make it an unsound strategy.
QBs bust frequently too. Guess teams shouldn’t spend picks on QBs either.
Except a difference maker at the QB position is required to have success in the NFL. CB is not. Look around and stop buying into the nonsense of that position. The world is littered with small, quick guys who may be able to play the position.
DB is a position most nfl teams draft regularly.
If one single team has a bad streak of drafting at a position, you dont just stop trying.
Should have drafted a CB in the 1st.
They signed Hobbs for this and were a playoff team without him the last two seasons.
Still, all signs pointed to him coming back (I chat deeper on the Packers in a different forum), we were all in agreement that a healthy season would have been better for both sides.
The Packers are swimming in cap space, dumb cut.
Hobbs is a slot corner.
So was Nixon. Hobbs played both outside and inside as a rookie before they moved him to a “big slot” role the last couple years.
He’s already been lining up both inside and outside in OTAs for the Packers.
Like many players, he was misused by the Raiders. They’ve been the Packers farm system the last few years.
He actually wasn’t misused by them. He just couldn’t stay healthy. Raiders used him inside and outside the last couple of years, primarily outside in 2022, which was his worst year, but he couldn’t stay healthy. He’s an elite slot corner. That’s where he excels. Just saying that’s what you should be expecting and not expecting him to take up the slack of losing Alexander. They do two different things on a defense.
For many corners (especially at his size), the boundary is easier. You can use the sideline to help you defend your receiver.
Since he was the best corner on the Raiders, they put him in the slot, like most teams do with their best corner.
Speaking of injuries, Hobbs has played a minimum of 11 games each year, 51 total in his 4 year career. Jaire has only played 34 games in that time period, including only 7 in each of the past two seasons. He’s not replacing Jaire, he’s replacing the litany of backups and practice squaders who were filling in for him while he was out.
It’s not a debate on how the Packers will use him, they signed him to play him both inside and out and he’s already playing both in practice. The debate is if he’ll be better here, used in Hafley’s zone defense as both a boundary and slot receiver, than he was in LV.
Valentine and Nixon will be primarily outside, Bullard will play the slot and occasionally safety, and Hobbs will play where he’s needed.
Just telling you what he excels at. Raiders tried to put him outside too, and it didn’t go well. He’s one of the top two or three slot corners though when healthy.
This is great for Alexander, but I don’t think that Green Bay planned for this. If they had anticipated cutting Alexander, you would have had me convinced that they’d have drafted another corner (despite the jokes that one may make about early corner picks being a gamble in Green Bay-yes, I am well are of them).
I know that Gutekunst is pretty comfortable moving players around in starting positions, but it’d seem to me that he’d have tried to select a fill-in if he thought that cutting Alexander would have been more likely than working out a 2025 deal. Nothing against Robinson, but he was a seventh round pick, and Gutekunst had by that point doubled down (and tripled down, even) at two different position groups (defensive line and wideout). There just didn’t feel like there was any urgency there-and maybe that’s somewhat understandable, given the number of games that Alexander missed, but in a draft where three picks were spent on linemen and two on wideouts you figure that you’d nab a higher end corner if you anticipate losing your starter.
The delay in reaching this resolution and the back and forth that preceded it made it seem like Green Bay believed that they’d could have worked out a deal in the end. Guess they were wrong.
Plan for a guy who has played 50% of the games the past four seasons? GB planned for this all along.
What’s funny is Hobbs has a pretty decent injury history himself, lmao. It was his problem with the Raiders.
That’s my point, twentyforty, and I mentioned it above. Alexander missed a lot of games, so I doubt that Green Bay expected him to play all of his snaps. However, I’d ask what the plan was, if it wasn’t to bring him back. They signed a vet who has also missed games, and used a seventh round pick after picking two receivers and three front seven players. If they knew that their starter was going to leave why did they:
1. Wait so long to authorize a trade (or try to seek one out); after all, the contract didn’t change
2. Not draft a long term replacement, and use multiple picks to stack up at other positions
3. Sign another veteran with an injury history who has mostly played in the slot
4. Continue to try to work out another arrangement with Alexander afterward
Hobbs doesn’t profile as a long term or even season long replacement as your starting number one corner. He’s a contributor, or a good fill-in at this time, not a player that you can easily pencil-in as a one for one for your former starter. All the signs to me point to the idea that the Packers planned to be able to keep Alexander. It’s fine, players leave all the time, and Alexander has missed a lot of games. However, the more that I consider it, the more I cannot comprehend why Gutekunst wouldn’t have picked a corner with one of those other high end picks, instead of all of those redundant players. Yeah, they could contribute, but Green Bay should planned better for their corner situation, too.
That secondary is going to be their sore spot all year and probably is going to get some people fired in the off-season from the defensive staff.
It never passed the smell test that they would run it back with him, even if they need a true outside corner. Could see the Rams or Raiders giving him a call.
Oh I’m sure a bunch of teams will kick the tires on him since they can negotiate their own price instead of having to take on that big cap hit.
He apparently rejected $16 mil and incentives for this year, so his agent probably already shook the trees and knows he can get him more.
Vikings or Lions.
Vikings I could see. Lions not so much. They already added Reed to Arnold and Rakestraw, and Alexander doesn’t seem like a culture fit.
What about the panthers?
I could see it. And look, it’s cornerback, so most teams in the league *could* use another guy.
Rakestraw and Arnold had shaky rookie seasons which was anticipated but could Detroit afford a talent–though injured–like Alexander? They need pass rush help as well though.
The Steelers make A LOT of sense. Their CB room is composed of aged veteran Darius Slay and nobody else. Plus, they have the cap $ this season to sign him.
Where all the Packer fans from two weeks ago when this was rumor calling this site a joke and that the Packers would never be dumb enough to release him?
Don’t worry, Packers fan here who still thinks it was dumb to cut him.
I have a feeling he’s staying in division
Possibly, but Alexander should have high demand. All if the teams that considered or are considering Ramsey probably were waiting for this headline.
Teams don’t line up for aging players with a long injury history who believes his value far exceeds his usefulness and availability.
He’s one of the top corners in the game with healthy. Tf are you talking about?
When exactly is he healthy? 50% of the time the last four years. I want you as the GM of my team’s division opponents.
Time for the Raiders to make the call. And Ramsey isn’t the player he use to be, but he’d fit pretty well also.
Not sure he fits the height profile for the raiders…
Eagles should sign him. It’s a no brainer.
I don’t see that happening unless they get a salary steal for him on a one-year deal. I think there’s enough teams that’ll pay him more than we’d want to sign him for that it’s unlikely. They also seem to love Ringo (I personally think he’s meh)
They’re trying to go back to back with Superbowls. They can’t afford to not go after players like him.
I don’t disagree but guys like Carter and Davis are gonna be due some big pay days soon. They’re probably going to want to rollover some cap space to prep for that
Texas
Tea
always hurt, next man up.
Where are all the pro owner people from the Hendrickson story. No honor the contract or how are they doing him like this. he got hurt and underplayed the contract, and guess what, Green Bay is cutting him and don’t owe him another dime. That’s how this works.
Huh? Hendrickson is trying to renegotiate a deal for himself for the top DE salary in the game by sitting out. A FA deal he negotiated. Everybody gets it, He’s old and trying to cash in. Lots of guys have tried but actually earning that money will be tough to accomplish. Alexander is going to get paid anyway for being cut so I have no idea where the 2 things are even close. It’s like Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the other……… I mean he’ll get whatever guaranteed money he had left but he’ll be free to sell himself to the highest bidder at least.
Because Alexander is getting cut with two years left on the deal. Who’s crying about Green Bay not paying him what he already negotiated?
Again Green Bay is paying him what he negotiated. Whatever guaranteed money he had left and now he can sign with someone else and make 2 salaries. Is that hard to see? And the Bengals ARE wanting to pay Hendrickson the money he’s owed, The just don’t want to extend him for the top dollar on the market. There is no comparison.
No, they’re not. They still owe him two more years, unless you’re talking about the guaranteed money, which Hendrickson no longer has on his deal either. Hey, but I guess it’s cool when the owners walk away from a deal.
Well then I guess I can’t read because I have seen nowhere that the Bengals are cutting Hendrickson loose they are completely cool with paying him his salary for this year. Unless you know something that was said that I don’t that Hendrickson was getting cut.
The Packers are only releasing him because he wouldn’t redo his deal, lmao. Sound familiar? So it’s cool for the owners to say redo this deal or get lost, but a player who has outplayed his contract is greedy to say I’m being paid less than half of what my peers are; something’s wrong here, so let’s revisit this deal and reward me? Keep standing on that thin branch out there defending the owners and one of the worst ones in the league at that.
As a Packers fan, I’m not unhappy with this decision , but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him crank out an injury-free season for his next team. Sometimes, stuff works out that way.
Never lived up to his ego. It’s very telling that they couldn’t even get a late rd pick for him.
The dude was literally a two time first team All Pro.
Yeah, three years ago, which is a lifetime in football. Sounds like the Saint fans who kept saying Michael Thomas had 150 catches his last healthy year. He hasn’t looked elite when he has played the last two years, that’s for sure.
Texans. Get his head right. Plus DeMeco Ryan’s has shown the ability to handle big personalities.
Doesn’t he have back problems? If that’s the case, I wouldn’t make that move either. He’ll probably end up on a one-year deal with somebody.
Wondering if they would try to sign Asante Samuel Jr.
Is he cleared yet? Neck injuries are no joke.
@mr goodkat. thought i saw he had surgery, and teams are visiting with him now.
The Dolphins are the only team that sniffed around him. Makes me think his neck is worse than said.
Chargers or 49ers
Steelers might as well see if he wants to team back up with Mr. Rodgers and add him to the mix with Slay.
If they think he can fit in the locker room.
Between the two vets, hopefully 1 of them can always stay healthy.
Adding Rodgers means they should be looking to go all in. Otherwise it was pointless.
I don’t know why more comments haven’t said the Steelers. Their CB position is aged veteran Darius Slay and absolutely nobody else. They need help BADLY at CB, and have the cap $ for this season. No brainer imop.
I think the Steelers are pretty high on Porter Jr. That’s not going to happen.
Why would they be big on Porter jr? He played absolutely awful last year. Plus, he led the league in pass interference penalties, a problem he has had since college, that he is not improving on, but somehow(?) getting worse at. Even if they, for some reason(?), liked Porter jr, they still only have 34 year old Darius Slay as even a semblance of someone else in that CB room. Their CB room is the weakest unit on the entire team imop.
They are. I’m not in their front office or their coaching staff. Just saying that they’ve been said to be high on him.
If they are high on him, at this point, they are high themselves.
In fairness, Porter Jr also didn’t allow a TD last year. When he isnt committing penalties he is solid at worst. I think he still has a high ceiling, but it would be nice to be able to sit him down if he gets in a penalty rut again — ex. Like 4 of his penalties were in one game.
They could really use a better #3 than Trice, but Alexander isn’t going somewhere to sit. They’d need to sell him on rotating all 3 and/or one of the vets being able to play inside.
Porter jr had a 55 overall and.55 coverage grade last season, finishing 161st out of 222 rated CB’s last year by PFF. I may not always like some parts of their grading system, but that still should sum up his performance last season. I actually liked Trice, but he had big injuries in college and the pros.
Yeah I simply disagree with that assessment. I think he’s more of a #2 corner himself, being thrust into a #1 out of need too soon, but aside from the penalties he played pretty well in my eyes. He was adequate at worst, and should be expected to take a large step forward in year three.
If he doesn’t I’ll be significantly closer to sharing your view.
I’m rooting for Trice, but he’s a big injury risk to have as your ONLY depth.
Even if you like Porter as a #2 CB, which we obviously differ on, they still need a #1.
Yes, ideally they would have a true 1 and slide Porter and Slay both down a rung. Yes, you could make the argument Alexander (if he is snd stays fully healthy) would be that. But they seem to view them as a bonafide 1/2 with no plans of adding. I doubt Slay would take kindly being bumped down to 3, and I think they view Porter and his development too highly to bench. We’ll see how it plays out. I think they’ll be adequate, but not great. And I also don’t think Alexander would sign there if there was even a suspicion he’d be in a 3 man rotation (though you could make a case for that being the best thing for him and his health, though not wallet).
Many NFL teams now start 3 CB’s due to the pass happy ways of today’s NFL. Slay is a 34 year old CB. I doubt he cares whether they view him as a 1, 2, or 3. Either way, at his age, he can’t expect to be making any real demands anymore. He will get plenty of PT if he is playing well, and he knows is going to get paid regardless.
All of that sounds fine being typed into a computer screen.
The reality is that they are paying Slay $10M and he was contemplating retirement. Frankly they need him more than he needs them. I don’t think that is the bigger barrier though.
I think it would be an incredibly tough sell to Alexander to join an even slightly muddy situation if another team has a larger hole to fill with a clear-cut starting role for him. Especially if its on a better team.
And ALL of that is without discussing money. Steelers rarely get into bidding wars. If he has a decent market, I can’t see them paying top dollar on a 1-year prove it. And I don’t see him signing a multi-year deal below what he can get if he goes out and plays well this year.
Alexander fits what the Cowboys are doing and what they need right now…
They have the 10th most Cap $$$ available and a strong need at the CB position with Diggs and Revel still mending their injuries with no real timetable on their return…
Alexander would fit nicely with Elam and Bland in the slot and give Dallas tremendous depth and make a weakness a position of strength when Diggs and Revel come back off injury…
This is why u have the Cap Space…waiting for a player just like this to get released…
A one year prove it deal would be ideal but if he wants two years I find a way to make it happen because could be gone next year after June 1st….
This is plain stupid unless the packers had some were to go with this money and they don’t why do we t they would have been better off letting him play till the wheels fell off again this just prove gutty don’t care if we win or lose
My goodness is that a laughably bad take. The guy has been available for 50% of the games the last four years. That’s easily replaceable and always cutable.
Actually your takes are laughably bad so get over yourself.
Go ahead and acknowledge his unavailability. Then put your fantasy football list down, take off another grown man’s jersey and admit your football knowledge lacks any sort of business acumen.
So only your opion matters? Number one corners don’t grow on trees hurt. By cutting him you get nothing. And still have to pay him and have dead money . Even if he only played 8-10 games he is elite when playing since at this point there’s nothing to pick up it was dumb move.
Fools. Who is the #1 corner, who is #2? They signed one in free agency who profiles more to play inside instead out outside.
Even if Jaire gives you 8 to 12 games those are high level games youre getting.
They have plenty of money to spend and he is worth more on our team or on our IR than someone else’s.
NOT at $26 million a year and actually playing in 8 games each year. That’s lunacy.
He is going to sign immediately somewhere else. Watch him get to a 2nd team all pro level this year.
Dude appears to be finished. I wouldn’t pay him 17M
he’ll be a cowboy in 72hrs. I hope not, I’m a eagle fan. He would look AMAZING on the outside across from Mitchell and allowing Cooper to remain in the slot
My thoughts exactly!
Plus he’s only 28. Slay was 30+ when we traded for him.
We? Wait….you just use “we”? How many jerseys do you own exactly? All of them?
If they had kept him, surely a ore/deadline trade would have recouped a pick?
They gotta have a plan to spend the savings, right? Creating cap space just for the sake of doing it doesn’t seem like the best idea to me.
I know cap space can roll over – but are you not trying to win a SB? Is the better plan to hope he has a bounce back?
I think Jalen R could be a real possibility here, otherwise this seems odd.
I suppose Bearmeat was so busy looking for ways to trash the Bears that he missed this news…lol.
Maybe going out and calling the coin toss was not such a smart move?
21M a year Gute was smart to want to try and trade him.
This is an obvious sign for John Lynch and the 49ers. So it’ll never happen
Possible landing spots: does injured reserve count?