GREEN BAY − Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is signing with the Baltimore Ravens, the Ravens announced June 18.
Alexander, 28, signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Ravens, per ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
The Packers host the Ravens during Week 17 of the 2025 season.
Alexander joins Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson. The duo played together at the University of Louisville for three years. Alexander was a second-team all-conference cornerback in 2016 when Jackson won the Heisman Trophy.
They both declared early to enter the NFL draft in 2018. Alexander went 18th overall to the Packers before Jackson went 32nd to the Ravens.
When asked about the possibility of adding Alexander, Jackson was outspoken about it. “Go get him, Eric,” Jackson said June 17, referring to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. “I love all of our corners, don’t get me wrong. But go get him, Eric.”
Alexander played for the Packers from 2018-24. He was two-time second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler with Green Bay, but missed a considerable amount of time due to a number of injuries.
When healthy, Alexander established himself as one of the league’s best defenders. He signed a four–year, $84 million contract extension in 2022 with the Packers, making him the league’s highest-paid corner at the time.
He appeared in 78 regular-season games with 76 starts for Green Bay in seven seasons, recording 302 tackles (232 solo), 12 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 80 passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 12 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and two QB hits. He also started six of seven postseason contests he played in and posted three interceptions.
However, in three of the past four seasons, Alexander has played less than 32% of the team’s defensive snaps due to injuries and one suspension. In his career, Alexander has missed 38 games, all but one because of injury. He has played in just 14 games the past two seasons.
During the 2024 season, Alexander injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on the final defensive play against Jacksonville in Week 8. He played just 10 snaps two weeks later at Chicago. Alexander returned to practice two weeks later and for four weeks tested his knee during the week, but never returned to the field. He chose to have surgery Dec. 31.
Alexander was due a base salary of $16.15 million this season plus the ability to make $650,000 more in per-game bonuses.
After more than four months of holding onto Alexander, hoping they could receive significant compensation in a trade and at one point considering bringing him back at a reduced salary, the Packers made the decision to part ways. He was released by the team June 9.
“Over the last four years, there’s been a lot of games missed,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said following the release. “I just think for what that money is, that’s a lot to pay for a guy who hasn’t been able to get out on the field. It’s not his fault. It’s just something that kind of transpired. So we just kind of were looking for something different.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander to join Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens
Reporting by Dominique Yates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
