Green Bay Packers corner back Jaire Alexander is coming off what many believe to be a disappointing 2023 campaign. Alexander appeared in only 7 games last season for the Pack recording only 27 tackles and zero interceptions. Injuries played a large role in his absence for the majority of the season, however when he was on the field he wasn’t quite the player fans had grown accustom to seeing in years past.
Jaire Alexander’s struggles all came to a head when he made quite possibly the biggest blunder of his career thus far.
The Green Bay Packers vs Carolina Panthers Coin Toss Debacle
During a week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, Alexander nearly botched a coin toss that he wasn’t even supposed to be a part of. Alexander told the official that the Packers wanted to start the game on defense, which could have potentially led to the Packers not getting the ball at the beginning of the game or after halftime.
Fortunately, however, the miscommunication was resolved and Green Bay would go on to win the game 33-30. Despite the outcome and the mishap having no true impact on the game, Jaire Alexander was suspended for the following week 17 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings for conduct detrimental to the team.
Another reason for Alexander’s subpar 2023 season could also be due to the Packers lack of secondary depth that plagued them for the majority of the season, as well as an underwhelming Joe Barry defensive scheme.
The Packers passing defense as a whole turned in a pretty successful season despite Alexander’s struggles, however. Giving up an average of 206.8 YPG on the season, good enough for 9th in the league, compared to giving up 335.1 YPG on total defense, which ranked 17th.
Green Bay also has several unrestricted free agent defensive backs that they must make decisions on. Players such as Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens have already agreed to terms with other teams, meaning they won’t be back next season, while other names such as CB Keisean Nixon, S Rudy Ford and CB Robert Rochell are still on the market.
How Xavier McKinney can help Jaire Alexander Return to All Pro Form
Xavier McKinney turned in a terrific 2023 season for the New York Giants, posting a PFF grade of 87.8. McKinney ranked 3rd in the league in solo tackles at 94, 9th in targets at 54, 14th in receptions allowed at 33 and 11th in interceptions with 3. Much of McKinney’s success went unnoticed since he was playing on an underperforming
team, however Green Bay didn’t let his effort go unrecognized as they signed him to a four year $67 million dollar contract this week to make him one of the highest paid safeties in the NFL.
McKinney’s eye for the football will only help Alexander and make his job that much easier. Since entering the NFL in 2020, McKinney has recorded 9 interceptions, as well as 2 forced fumbles, recovering 2 as well.
Xavier McKinney may not be a household name when it comes to safeties in the NFL, however he is a high quality player in the secondary that will help take much of the pressure off of the rest of the Packers defensive backfield and can help generate turnovers in crucial spots during the season.
There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to the signing of Xavier McKinney. Paying safeties is typically a high risk high reward proposition in the NFL, as the league doesn’t deem it a position worth paying high end money for.
However, given Green Bay’s ability to draft and develop core players and take advantage of their small cap hit, they have the luxury of making a splash move such as this to help fortify the secondary and raise the play of some of their other elite players, such as Jaire Alexander.
