The Green Bay Packers face off against the Chicago Bears in their final game of the 2024 NFL regular season. At 11-5, Green Bay has already clinched a spot in the postseason while the 4-12 Bears are already looking for a new head coach.
Unfortunately, the Packers will be without the services of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who had season-ending knee surgery and was placed on injured reserve. This marks the third time in four years that the former first-round pick has seen his season shortened considerably by injury. Over the last four seasons, Alexander has played four, 16, seven, and seven games respectively.
Jaire Alexander May Have Played His Last Game for the Green Bay Packers
There are many fans who claim that Alexander quit on the team after he signed his second contract with the team, one that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. While it is true that he has been injured for the majority of that extension thus far, questioning his drive to stay on the field is asinine.
Earlier this week, Packers Pro Bowl safety Xavier McKinney told the media, “You know, he’s been working, trying to get back back. But every time he would try, he would tweak it again and so, it’s just a part of the game.
“We’ve been just trying to be with him as much as possible, trying to make sure that good mentally. We knew how much it was, at least I knew how much it was hurting him not being able to be out there with us, just based on conversations I’ve had with him personally. So, yeah, those were the challenges that he faced.”
The key phrase here is, “it’s just a part of the game.” Football is a violent sport and, unfortunately, serious injuries happen. If his teammates and coaches are not questioning his drive to get back onto the field, fans should not be either.
Unfortunately, though, football is also a business, and missing the majority of three out of four seasons, no matter how valid the reason, forces organizations to make tough business decisions.
Green Bay Packers CB Jaire Alexander Predicted to Join the New England Patriots
After this season, Alexander has no guaranteed money left on the four-year $84 million contract that he signed with Green Bay. This means that the Packers can save quite a bit of money over the next two years by releasing him, which Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac believes they will do:
“The Packers have pushed a lot of right buttons over the course of the past decade or so, but the 4 year, $84 million extension for Alexander might go down as a bit of a miss (at least according to their standards). After an outstanding 2022 campaign, the 27-year-old has missed significant time in each of the past two seasons, putting his future in Green Bay in serious doubt.
“Alexander’s contract contains 2 years, $37M remaining, but none of it is guaranteed, and there are no early offseason bonuses to contend with.”
Furthermore, Ginnitti predicts that once he is released by the Packers, Alexander will sign a one-year $10 million contract with the New England Patriots:
“Prediction: The Packers release Jaire Alexander this March, taking on a $19.1M dead cap hit, freeing up $6.7M of space. Alexander signs a 1 year, $10M contract with the New England Patriots for the 2025 season.”
The Patriots, who are currently 3-13, are certainly in need of many upgrades on their roster. When healthy, Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL; but the Packers, from a financial perspective, cannot risk spending $37 million over two years on a player that might stay healthy, regardless of how dynamic he is.
New England, on the other hand, is in a position where taking a chance on Alexander would make a lot of sense, especially in a division that boasts talented quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa.
Alexander, for his part, would get the opportunity to show other NFL teams that he can stay healthy and set himself up for another big payday in 2026.
More Green Bay Packers News from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
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- Former Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Hit with 5-Figure Fine from the NFL, Former Teammate
- Green Bay Packers Legend Brett Favre Goes OFF on President Joe Biden and Medal of Freedom Ceremony
- Packers Announce Season-Ending Injury Just Before Bears Matchup
- Former NFL Quarterback Drops Brutal Truth Bomb on Aaron Rodgers; “If You’re Not with Him, You’re Stupid”
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