Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy acknowledged the elite talent of cornerback Jaire Alexander but said “a lot” of injuries ultimately led to the decision to release him this offseason.
Alexander, who will be released on Monday, missed games or practices due to shoulder, knee, groin and back injuries since 2021.
“He’s been a great player for us. Obviously, elite talent. Unfortunately, just injured a lot. That’s, unfortunately, a big part of our game,” Murphy told Dave Schroeder of WBAY-TV in Green Bay.
Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro, missed 13 games in 2021, 10 games in 2023 and 10 more games in 2024. Over the last two seasons, Alexander has played in just 14 of a possible 34 regular season games.
In pro football, a combination of often injured and expensive is a crippling combination, even for a player like Alexander who is 28 years old and established as a top player at his position.
Alexander’s high base salary and cap number for the 2025 season didn’t match with his availability over the last four seasons, and an attempt from both sides to find common ground financially failed.
His 2024 season ended when Alexander injured a knee ligament in Week 8 and attempted to return in Week 10, only to suffer a setback and eventually require season-ending knee surgery.
In 2023, Alexander missed time with multiple injuries, including a back issue, and he was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team.
In 2021, Alexander injured his shoulder in Week 4, missed the rest of the regular season and returned for a brief stint in the Packers’ playoff loss.
Injuries are a part of football, and sometimes the best ability is availability. Unfortunate injuries, including a knee injury when he leaped for a pass on the final defensive snap in Jacksonville last October and a back injury suffered during a freak play during practice, derailed Alexander’s final years in Green Bay. Even Alexander’s first major injury — a shoulder injury in 2021 — happened on a rather routine tackle attempt.
Murphy said the Packers are ready to embrace a familiar challenge moving forward.
“The reality is, for the last four years, about half the games he’s been able to play,” Murphy said. “We’re kind of used to it.”
Murphy’s math is right: Alexander played in only 34 of a possible 68 games between 2021 and 2024. The Packers will now go into the 2025 season with Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and free-agent signing Nate Hobbs as the team’s top three cornerbacks.
Hear more from Murphy below:
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers president on Jaire Alexander: ‘Unfortunately, just injured a lot’
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
