The Green Bay Packers are planning to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Packers haven’t announced the move yet. NFL Network first reported it.
The release would end a seven-year run with the Packers in which Alexander earned two Pro Bowl selections and intercepted 12 passes, though injuries limited his playing time in recent seasons. This move, which is expected to clear about $17 million in cap space, comes as the Packers prepare to open their mandatory minicamp this week.
Alexander's future with the Packers had been the subject of much speculation throughout the offseason because of his hefty contract and recent injury history. Alexander had two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed in May 2022.
The 28-year-old Alexander has spent his entire career with the Packers, who selected him out of Louisville with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Alexander made Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2022, but he has played in only 34 of the Packers' 68 regular-season games over the last four years.
Alexander missed two early-season games last year with injuries to his quadriceps and groin. He then missed a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit with a knee injury, returned to play 10 snaps in the Packers' next game against Chicago and then was out for the rest of the season.
His unavailability for much of the last few seasons has the Packers believing they can move forward without the player who had remained their best cornerback when healthy. Green Bay's cornerback room also has lost 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes, who had his own injury issues with the Packers before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in March.
The Packers return Keisean Nixon, a two-time All-Pro kickoff returner who has become more of a factor on defense the last couple of seasons while Alexander has struggled with injuries. Carrington Valentine, a 2023 seventh-round pick, has started 19 games over the last two seasons. The Packers also added former Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency and drafted Micah Robinson out of Tulane in the seventh round.
Alexander was so effective early in his career that the Packers signed him to that big contract with a $30 million signing bonus even after a shoulder injury had limited him to four regular-season games in 2021. Alexander had returned for the Packers' NFC divisional playoff loss to San Francisco during that 2021 season.
But the injuries kept coming.
He started 16 games and had a career-high five interceptions in 2022 but played just seven regular-season games each of the last two years. Alexander has remained very effective in pass coverage when available.
The games he missed were because of injury with one exception. Alexander got suspended for a late-season game in 2023 because of conduct detrimental to the team after he appointed himself captain and participated in the coin toss for a Christmas Eve win at Carolina, his hometown.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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