The Green Bay Packers are playing, arguably, their most important game of the season on Thursday night. At 9-3, they need to get a win over the 11-1 Detroit Lions if they are to have a better shot at winning the NFC North. As it stands, they sit in third place behind Detroit and the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings.
Due to the overall success of the NFC North, Green Bay’s 9-3 record is good for just the sixth seed in the NFC Playoff picture. While they have an 96-99% chance of making the postseason as is, they can only improve their seeding by winning their remaining games against their division rivals.
The Green Bay Packers Will Be Without Jaire Alexander and 3 Others on Thursday Against the Detroit Lions
Unfortunately for the Packers, they are going to, once again, be without several key players when they take on the Lions in their crucial Week 14 matchup. Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper will miss his third straight game after injuring his hamstring in practice ahead of Green Bay’s victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who suffered a concussion in that same 49ers game, will also not play against Detroit. Cornerback Corey Ballentine also will not play due to a knee injury.
Perhaps the most concerning injury and absence, though, is that of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. Despite being a limited participant in practice this week, Alexander has been ruled out by Green Bay for the third consecutive game.
As fans may recall, the two-time Second Team All-Pro injured his knee against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This kept him out of the Packers’ first matchup against the Lions as well, a game Green Bay lost 24-14.
Alexander attempted to come back from the injury following the Bye Week, but was only able to play 10 snaps against the Chicago Bears. He has not played since.
After the Bears’ game, it was revealed that his knee injury was much worse than people realized. He had, in fact, torn his PCL.
How Much Would It Cost the Green Bay Packers to Move on from Jaire Alexander in 2025?
After playing in just seven games in 2023 due to injuries and a team-imposed suspension, Alexander has only played in seven games this season. While he played 16 games in 2022, his 2021 season was limited to four games due to a shoulder injury.
Alexander’s frequent injuries have led many fans on social media to wonder if the team would be better off moving on from him in 2025. According to Ken Ingalls, the immediate dead cap hit the Packers would face if they were to released their two-time Pro Bowl cornerback would be substantial:
Jaire Alexander is due $17.5M cash in 2025 and another $19.5M in 2026. The Packers would eat $18.1M of previously paid signing & restructure bonuses as dead cap if they move on next year.
However they would save net cap space of:
-2025: $7M
-2026: $27.4M
-2027: $2.4M (void year) https://t.co/GuTWPndfEk— Ken – Packers Cap (@KenIngalls) December 4, 2024
As one can see, though, they would end up saving more money overall.
Obviously, the Packers view Alexander a great deal differently than fans. When healthy, he is one of the best defenders in the NFL. Green Bay would much rather help him keep his body right than just let him go for nothing.
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