Jaire Alexander has been released by the Green Bay Packers, ending a seven-year run in which he emerged as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks before injuries limited his availability.
The Packers announced the move Monday, a day before they open their mandatory minicamp. The decision is expected to clear about $17 million in cap space.
“In his seven seasons with the Packers, Jaire established himself as one of the premier players in the NFL at one of the game’s most challenging positions,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement. “His contributions to our organization were felt on the field, in the locker room and in our community, and he will be missed. We appreciate all he gave, and we wish him all the best moving forward.”
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, who has 12 interceptions, 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 past four years.
Alexander missed two early season games last season 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 past 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 past couple of seasons while Alexander has struggled with injuries. Carrington Valentine, a 2023 seventh-round pick, has started 19 games over the past 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 past two years. Alexander has remained 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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