The Green Bay Packers made the controversial decision to suspend two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander for their Week 17 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The decision, announced by general manager Brian Gutekunst, was a joint one made between himself and head coach Matt LaFleur, and followed Alexander’s making himself a team captain prior to the Packers’ Week 16 nail biting victory over the Carolina Panthers.
LaFleur, for his part, told reporters on Wednesday that the decision to suspend any player is never made because of “just one” incident. Indeed, there have been questions surrounding Alexander’s attitude towards coaches and his demeanor in the locker room for weeks now. While it is unknown what specific incidents LaFleur was referring to, though, it is clear the coin toss near-fiasco was the final straw for the team.
While fans are split on who is to blame for Alexander’s actions (the player himself or poor coaching and leadership), it is clear that the 2020 and 2022 Second Team All Pro has the backing of his teammates. Alexander even said after the game that every player on the team supported his going out there as a captain in his hometown of Charlotte.
Of course, whenever anything like this happens on any team, reporters turn to that team’s undisputed most important leader and player for answers: the quarterback. Unsurprisingly, Jordan Love was asked about Alexander and the suspension, and his answer is quite revealing in terms of how the rest of the team views their outspoken cornerback.
Jordan Love Believes Jaire Alexander Always Has the Best Interests of the Green Bay Packers at Heart
For weeks now, some fans and members of the Packers/local/national media have been pretty vocal about how bad of a teammate Alexander has been this season. To them, his numerous injuries (which have cost him nine games this) along with his “weird” interviews are indicative of a real issue in the locker room, an issue that could be solved by trading Alexander this offseason.
There is just one problem with that idea, though: no one outside of the locker room has any real understanding of what exactly is going on. Furthermore, both LaFleur and Gutekunst said yesterday that the two-time Pro Bowler remains a big part of the Packers’ future going forward.
And as for what kind of teammate he is, well, Love revealed how the rest of the team views the controversial cornerback when he addressed the media on Wednesday:
“He has a unique personality, but I think Jaire is a great teammate. I think he always has the right interests in his heart, and he’s always trying to be out there and put his best foot forward on the field.”
As mentioned previously, Alexander had the support of all of his teammates when he took the field as a captain on Sunday. One of the players that the coaches had selected as a captain for the game was running back Aaron Jones, one of the most respected players on the roster among other players, coaches, fans, and media members. If Alexander has/had Jones’ support, of all people, it is entirely probable that this incident, and whatever incidents involving Alexander that led up to the decision, is a far bigger deal to the media and fans than it is to the players.
Love’s own statement reflects this notion, that Alexander is viewed with respect and admiration by the rest of the team. As mentioned, Alexander has missed nine games with injury this year and, contrary to what vocal fans may claim, has worked incredibly hard to get back on the field of play.
The decision to suspend Alexander was the right one. Players cannot put themselves over the coaches, no matter how incompetent they might be. However, this incident is being magnified due to Alexander’s injuries this season and the questionable decision by LaFleur to keep Joe Barry as his defensive coordinator this season. Had Alexander not gotten hurt, and if Barry had been replaced after the 2022 season, this situation might never have happened or, if it did, it would be a relative non-story.
The Packers and Alexander are going to put the incident behind them and move on. There will be questions about the star cornerback’s future with the team, but there should not be. Love made it clear: Alexander is a great teammate and the rest of the players love him.
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1 Comment
If it was no big deal to the players, that shows that MLF does not have the respect of the players. The world has changed a lot since Vince Lombardi, but MLF still needs to ask “What the Hell is going on out there.”
I’m sure Joe Barry will be the scapegoat for the defense’s ineptitude, but maybe the players are not working very hard. Reggie White, Leroy Butler, Brian Noble were better than anybody on defense now, and they never would have disrespected the coach like that.