Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is leaving the NFC, signing with an AFC powerhouse and reuniting with a college teammate. The 2018 first-round pick of the Packers signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, reuniting Alexander with NFL MVP and former Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson.
The signing means Alexander will play his former team during the 2025 season. The Packers host the Ravens on Dec. 27 at Lambeau Field during Week 17 of the regular season.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Alexander’s one-year deal is worth a max value of $6 million in 2025. Before being released by the Packers earlier this month, Alexander was scheduled to make over $17 million in base salary. Per Schefter, Alexander turned down more money elsewhere to reunite with Jackson in Baltimore, but he’ll have to hit incentives of $2 million overall just to get to $6 million in compensation in 2025.
Even if he accepted a big discount to play with the Ravens, Alexander’s deal highlights how big of a financial hurdle the Packers were facing in terms of trading him for compensation this offseason. Without Alexander’s help on a contract restructure, a trade became impossible. Even with a chance to test the full market, Alexander still only got a one-year deal worth well below other contracts signed by veteran cornerbacks in free agency.
Availability is the big reason why. Alexander has missed at least 10 games during three of the last four seasons and has appeared in only 14 of a possible 34 regular season games since 2023.
Matt LaFleur’s team will now play former Packers such as Alexander, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones during the 2025 season.
Jackson, who played with Alexander at Louisville before both became first-round picks in 2018, made a public plea to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta to sign the former Packer on Tuesday.
“Go get him, Eric,” Jackson said.
Mission accomplished in Baltimore.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Former Packers CB Jaire Alexander signs 1-year deal with Baltimore Ravens
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
