Speaking to reporters at the 2025 NFL Combine, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst remained noncommittal when asked about cornerback Jaire Alexander’s future with the team.
“We’ll see,” Gutekunst said. “We’re working through that. He certainly could be. We gotta get him out there more. Not being able to be out there at his best has frustrated him, and that has obviously frustrated our football team too.”
While his comments were not particularly dramatic, they did confirm concerns that had previously been attributed only to anonymous sources. Last month, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that individuals within the organization were frustrated with Alexander’s struggles to stay healthy and his ability to play through injuries. Now, with Gutekunst publicly addressing the issue, it is clear that the concerns exist at the highest levels of the team’s leadership.
Alexander’s Struggles with Injuries
The question of whether Alexander could or should play through injuries is complex, but one fact is undeniable—he has struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons. Since 2021, he has played in just 34 of 68 possible regular-season games. In two of those appearances, he was limited to 10 or fewer snaps. That kind of availability is hardly ideal for a player who, after the 2021 season, signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension, which included $30 million in guaranteed money.
His contract also creates financial complications for the Packers. If Alexander remains on the roster in 2025, he will account for a $24.9 million cap hit. Given his inconsistent availability, that is a significant price to pay, especially for a team that prioritizes financial flexibility.
However, the structure of his deal does give the Packers some flexibility. As previously reported, this situation works to their advantage. If they want to push Alexander to renegotiate his contract, they hold all the leverage. The team is not in desperate need of cap relief, which means they can afford to let the situation play out on their terms and potentially force Alexander into accepting a pay cut. If Alexander wants to remain in Green Bay, he may have no choice but to restructure his deal.
Will the Packers Move On?
Of course, the Green Bay Packers could also decide they have had enough of the uncertainty surrounding Alexander’s health and simply move on. If that is the case, they will need to address the impact such a decision would have on their cornerback depth. Right now, Keisean Nixon is the only reliable, starting-caliber player at the position. Some might argue that second-year cornerback Carrington Valentine is a viable option, but he remains unproven at this stage of his career.
Even if Alexander only plays in half of a season, those games would provide some stability in the secondary. Letting him go would leave a significant gap in the defensive backfield, which the Packers would need to address either through free agency or the draft. Finding a replacement would not be easy, and the team must weigh the pros and cons carefully.
At this point, there are more questions than answers regarding Jaire Alexander’s future in Green Bay. As Brian Gutekunst put it, “We’ll see.”
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