Packers set to release Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander after seven seasons

The curtain has come down on the Jaire Alexander era in Green Bay.

Per NFL insider Rob Demovsky, the Packers are set to part ways with their talented but unpredictable, and frequently sidelined, cornerback.

Alexander's release is expected to become official today, just ahead of the team's mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 10–12, where he had been slated to report.

Jaire Alexander's run in Green Bay officially comes to an end after the two sides failed to find common financial ground.

The 28-year-old cornerback, who inked a four-year, $84 million extension back in 2022 and later restructured the deal in 2023, was under contract through 2026. There was a time when Alexander stood toe-to-toe with the very best in the league at his position. But ongoing injury setbacks, most notably to his knee and shoulder, limited him to just 14 appearances over the last two seasons.

A two-time Pro Bowler (2020, 2022), Alexander recently skipped the team’s voluntary offseason program but was expected to be on hand for next week’s mandatory minicamp. Still, after trade talks failed to gain traction, GM Brian Gutekunst opted for a clean break.

The team reportedly tried to hammer out a reworked deal that would’ve seen Alexander earn $17.5 million this year, but those negotiations hit a wall. As a result, Green Bay will cut ties, and clear more than $17 million in cap space in the process.

Here's some of the quick reaction from the NFL world on the news:

The former first-round pick burst onto the scene in 2018, earning a spot on the NFL’s All-Rookie Team. A year later, he tallied 17 pass breakups—fourth-most in the league, and picked off two passes. By 2020, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the top cornerback in football, and he made headlines by intercepting Tom Brady twice in that season’s NFC Championship Game.

But that version of Alexander has been increasingly difficult to see in recent years, as injuries have steadily eroded his availability.

He suited up for just four games in 2021 due to a shoulder issue. In 2023, he missed 10 contests, three with a back injury, six more with shoulder problems, and an additional game due to a team-imposed suspension for conduct detrimental to the squad.

Last year, the pattern continued. Alexander missed 10 more games battling quadriceps and groin setbacks before ultimately tearing his PCL—yet another blow to a once-elite defender whose career has been derailed by repeated injuries.

Jaire Alexander's 2024 campaign officially came to a close on November 17, when a knee injury landed him on injured reserve—and ultimately marked the end of his time in Green Bay. With Alexander out of the picture, the Packers’ cornerback room now leans on Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine heading into mandatory minicamp, which runs Tuesday through Thursday in Wisconsin.