The Green Bay Packers are preparing to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a battle of what could very well end up being the top two Wild Card teams in the NFC this season. Despite the Vikings being 13-2 and the Packers being 11-4, neither team currently is in first place in the NFC North. The 13-2 Detroit Lions, who hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings, currently have that honor.
Of course, this upcoming NFC North showdown between Green Bay and Minnesota has major implications for the Vikings. They face the Lions in Week 18, the last game of the regular season, and could steal the division away from them if they win.
The Packers, meanwhile, have been eliminated from contending for the NFC North crown, though they have clinched a spot in the NFL Playoffs for the second year in a row.
Will Jaire Alexander Play for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday?
One of the biggest questions the Packers have yet to have an answer to is whether or not two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander will be able to play against the Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Alexander has missed Green Bay’s last five games with a knee injury that he suffered earlier in the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He initially missed the game afterwards, a loss to the Lions, with the hopes that sitting out a week and then having the Bye Week would be enough for him to recover. However, he only played 10 snaps against the Chicago Bears following the Bye before being shut down again.
The Packers have not placed him on injured reserve and he has been a full participant in practice for most of the last two weeks.
Alexander also missed two games early in the season with a groin injury. All told, he has played in seven games, notched two interceptions, and has an 86.9 passer rating when targeted, though opposing quarterbacks are only completing 56.7% of their passes when targeting him.
When asked on Thursday if Alexander had a better chance of playing this week, head coach Matt LaFleur said, “Probably not.”
LIVE: Head Coach Matt LaFleur meets with the media 🎙️ https://t.co/xcj3HZoeVK
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 26, 2024
Should the Green Bay Packers Part Ways with Jaire Alexander After the 2024 NFL Seasons?
Alexander, as Packers fans are well aware, is one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Unfortunately, three of his last four have been cut short due to injury. This development, along with his locker room and on-field antics last season that resulted in a one-game suspension, have led many fans to call for Green Bay to cut him after the 2024 NFL season.
To the point of those fans, the Packers can save $6.8 million on their 2025 salary cap if they were to release Alexander after the season. He would carry a dead cap hit of a little over $19 million next year and $10.7 million in 2026. If he remains on the roster, he will carry a cap hit of $25.8 million in 2025 and $27.8 million in 2026.
If Green Bay were in a similar salary cap situation as they were following the 2022 season, with Aaron Rodgers‘ large contract on the books, releasing Alexander would be a no-brainer. As it stands, though, the Packers have over $63 million in salary cap space available in 2025.
In other words, they do not need to cut Alexander in order to be able to afford other players. They currently have the financial flexibility to sign just about anyone that they want.
The fact of the matter is that the defense is better when Alexander is on the field. Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon have emerged as above-average boundary cornerbacks, and Eric Stokes has played well in the second half of the season after getting off to a slow start.
But none of them can play the position as well as the two-time Second Team All-Pro.
What will likely happen is that Alexander will enter the 2025 season with the understanding that his health and performance will determine his future with the organization beyond that year.
Cutting a player as talented as him, just to save $6.8 million when they already have over $63 million in salary cap space, would be a mistake. Instead, they should give him another year to prove that he was worth their investment.
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