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Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Two straight injury-filled seasons in the end spelled the tip for cornerback Jaire Alexander with the Packers, even when it took some time to succeed in that time.
The Packers knowledgeable Alexander on Monday that he can be launched, a supply informed ESPN, ending an offseason saga during which the 2 sides tried to discover a center floor.
Packers president Mark Murphy appeared to verify Alexander’s launch whereas at a charity golf outing Monday.
“To begin with, he is been a fantastic participant for us,” Murphy informed WBAY-TV. “Clearly, an elite expertise and, you already know, sadly simply injured quite a bit. Sadly that is an enormous a part of our sport.
“The fact is for the final 4 years for Jaire, it is about half of the video games he is been capable of play,” Murphy added. “So we form of have been used to it.”
Alexander had deliberate to report for the Packers’ obligatory minicamp beginning Tuesday after skipping the entire in-person, voluntary exercises this offseason.
Alexander appeared in simply seven regular-season video games every of the previous two seasons and didn’t play after Nov. 17 final 12 months — regardless of working towards on a semi-regular foundation. He went on injured reserve the ultimate week of the season and had knee surgical procedure on what he mentioned was a torn PCL. Nonetheless, he completed second on the crew in cross breakups (seven) and tied for second in interceptions (two).
That got here a 12 months after shoulder and knee accidents plus a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the crew restricted him to seven video games.
The 2018 first-round choose had two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback within the NFL on the time. The Packers will choose up greater than $17 million in wage cap area for this season.
Alexander, an All-Professional in 2020 and 2022, performed in simply 34 of a doable 68 video games for the reason that begin of the 2021 season — a 12 months during which he appeared in solely 4 regular-season video games due to a shoulder damage.
Shortly after the 2024 season ended, sources privately expressed that the crew now not wished to play the weekly sport of whether or not Alexander can be wholesome sufficient to play or can be keen to play at lower than 100%.
“I do know it has been actually, actually irritating for not solely him as a participant, however us as a membership,” Packers basic supervisor Brian Gutekunst mentioned shortly after final season. “When you’ve a participant who’s performed what he is performed for us up to now, after which not having the ability to get him out on the sector persistently, that is robust. You understand it is robust on the participant, robust on the group.”
Shortly after these feedback, Gutekunst mentioned he can be open to buying and selling Alexander.
“We invested quite a bit in Jaire and need to be certain, if he is not going to be on our soccer crew serving to us win video games, that we get one thing again for that funding,” Gutekunst mentioned in late March. “So we’ll see the place it goes, however once more, working with him weekly and making an attempt to determine what’s finest for each Jaire and the Packers.”
After the draft got here and went with out a commerce, the Packers thought of conserving Alexander, however provided that he can be keen to remodel his contract. The Packers went as far as to supply Alexander a revised deal in latest days, a supply informed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, however the two sides couldn’t attain an settlement.
Alexander was scheduled to make $17.5 million this season, however none of that was assured.
He appeared to know the tip was coming instantly after the season, when on locker cleanout day he declined to talk with reporters, saying he had “nothing good to say” and that he didn’t know if he can be again in 2025.
In seven seasons, together with playoffs, Alexander recorded 15 interceptions.