It appears more and more likely that the Green Bay Packers are going to part ways with two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander this offseason. Rumblings that a divorce was imminent started last season when Brian Gutekunst’s first draft pick ever made himself a captain and nearly botched the Packers’ coin toss against the Carolina Panthers. He was subsequently suspended for one game by the team.
And while it appeared that both sides had put the event behind them with the arrival of a new defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, in 2024, it was not long before old issues rose to the surface once again.
Green Bay Packers Cornerback Jaire Alexander Has Missed Half of the Team’s Games Since Signing His Contract Extension
Alexander got off to a great start for the Packers, intercepting two passes including his first career pick-six. While he missed a couple of games early with a lower leg injury, everything seemed to be pointing that the two-time Second Team All-Pro selection was going to have one of his best seasons.
But then he hurt his knee on the final defensive play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It looked bad when it happened, but head coach Matt LaFleur later revealed that he had avoided a major injury, and that the team was looking forward to having him back on the field.
Unfortunately, he returned to the field for only 10 more defensive snaps in 2024. These happened against the Chicago Bears in Week 11, and then Alexander took himself out of the game. Despite being a full participant in practices in the season’s later weeks, he was always ruled out for games. During this time, it was also revealed that he had suffered a torn PCL.
When the Packers were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, Alexander told reporters that he had “nothing good” to say and that he was not sure he would be back next season. In his end of season press conference, Gutekunst expressed his and the team’s frustration that they could not get “such a talented player” on the field consistently.
Per recent reports, this frustration has not abated, and it appears likely that Green Bay is going to move on from Alexander this offseason. If this is so, he will end his time with the Packers having played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since becoming the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback.
The Green Bay Packers Could Sign San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowler Charvarius Ward
One player that could be signed to replace Alexander in the cornerback room, who also brings Super Bowl experience, is soon-to-be free agent cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has played for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs throughout the course of his career.
In 2023, Ward led the NFL with 23 passes defended and had five interceptions while making his first, and so far only, Pro Bowl. Last season, though, was a difficult one for him, though not for football reasons.
On October 28 of last year, Ward’s one-year-old daughter passed away. She had been born prematurely and had heart issues, as well as Down Syndrome.
The tragedy limited Ward to 12 games last season, and he told reporters that he was not going to re-sign with San Francisco when his contract expired. This is not because of anything the team or organization did wrong, though. Indeed, they were very supportive towards him.
However, he cited PTSD from the loss of his daughter and a need for a change of scenery to get away from the constant reminders of his loss.
Spotrac currently lists Ward’s market value as three years and $45.8 million, or roughly $15 million a season. This is certainly within the Packers’ price range, and coming to such a welcoming and close-knit franchise in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy may be a huge benefit for Ward.
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