It was obvious 2-time NFL All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander was a shell of himself during his short time with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. What wasn’t obvious was that his on-field struggles were nothing compared to his off-field issues.
In an article posted to The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday, Alexander disclosed he was in a full-on mental health crisis for the entirety of his time with the Ravens — describing his time with the team as a “cycle of sadness and disappointment.”
Alexander, a 1st-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, was released by the Green Bay Packers on June 9, 2025, after 7 seasons, during which he was a 2-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler. He signed a 1-year, $4 million contract with the Ravens on June 18, but only played 2 regular-season games before he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 4.
Alexander shocked the Eagles when he retired 10 days later via a 3 a.m. group text.
Confidence Destroyed by Offseason Knee Surgery
Coming off surgery for a torn PCL suffered in October 2024, Alexander’s doubts about his knee came to life in a disastrous, season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills in which he said he “embarrassed” himself.
The loss to the Bills was followed by further humiliation when Alexander heard 1 of his boyhood heroes, 2-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison, criticizing his play on national television.
“And what hurt the most that night of the Bills game?” Alexander wrote. “Honestly? Believe it or not, the most heartbreaking thing for me was what Rodney Harrison said about me afterward. He’d definitely been one of my idols as a young player. Someone I looked up to. And look, I get that I played horrible, obviously. But for him to basically rip me to shreds on TV after the game…. that just really hurt, you know what I mean?He wasn’t wrong about how I played. He was right! But like, just hearing him talk about me like that, like I was basically the worst player in the league … it truly messed me up. It had me completely down about everything. That night, no joke, I went home and cried my eyes out.”
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, but he seems happy away from football, developing apps for defensive backs 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 and at 1 point was the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
“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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