It was pretty obvious to anyone on the outside looking in that former NFL All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander‘s on-field struggles in 2025 were reflective of larger off-field issues — just how deep those issues ran weren’t totally clear until now.
In an article posted to The Players’ Tribune, Alexander told the story of his final season in the NFL — a season in which he was traded from the Baltimore Ravens to the Philadelphia Eagles, then shocked everyone when he retired from football 10 days later with a 3 a.m. group text just hours before he was supposed to fly out with the team to play the Green Bay Packers.
Unbeknownst to those around him, Alexander was dealing with crippling anxiety and depression over a knee injury — one he said caused him to “embarrass” himself in a season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills and destroyed whatever confidence he had left.
“I went home the night before we were supposed to be flying out to Green Bay in the morning, and I didn’t sleep a wink,” Alexander wrote. “I’m tossing and turning in bed nonstop. I’m worried and anxious and unable to stop all the negative thoughts from creeping in. I couldn’t do it anymore. At like 3 or 4 a.m., I sat up in bed and texted everyone with the Eagles. It was like…. ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to do this. I can’t keep playing like this.’ Then, a few hours later, I went down to the facility and told them all in person. I was done.”
Traumatized by Release From Green Bay
Alexander had previously given some insight into what he was dealing with toward the end of his career in a lengthy Instagram post on April 15 that disclosed he’d been dealing with “internal battles” before the end of his career.
According to Alexander, part of the problem was that he’d been traumatized by being released from the Packers, where he’d played his 1st 7 seasons from 2018 to 2024 and been a 2-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler.
“What I’ve realized since, in working with my therapist, is that me leaving Green Bay … it was almost like a marriage coming to an end,” Alexander wrote. “And for someone who had devoted so much of his life to this game, that’s not gonna be something that happens and then you just move on like whatever. It lingers. And sticks with you. Or at least it did with me. And I can tell you point blank that I absolutely blamed myself in the moments when I’d think about that divorce.”
Alexander Didn’t Rule Out Return to Football
At 29 years old, Alexander should still have at least 2-3 good seasons left playing football — the torn PCL he suffered in October 2024 isn’t considered a career-ending injury by any means.
His life away from football seems happy now, however, and he says he’s developing apps and hanging out with his dog, an American Akita named K’Tal.
It’s worth pointing out that Alexander likely never needs to work another day in his life — he banked approximately $75.5 million in career earnings over 8 seasons.
“People still sometimes ask me if I’m ever gonna come back and play,” Alexander wrote. “And, you know what … I’ll never say never — I still work out, and the knee’s fine now, so I’m in good shape. But for me, right now, the most important thing really is just to be in a good place overall. To be happy.
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