The Green Bay Packers is open to trading cornerback Jaire Alexander, as NFL Network reported earlier this week. While the perception around the league is that the Packers won’t get a big return (if at all) because of Alexander’s contract and injury history, competition might drive the price up.
This is what Peter Bukowski from The Leap wrote about the situation.
“While they understand the Packers are ready to move on, this interest will likely drive action from teams hoping to secure Alexander’s rights and a reasonable salary for the next two seasons if the former All-Pro cornerback can stay on the field.
The popular link right now is with the Jacksonville Jaguars and former linebackers coach Anthony Campanile heading to Duval as Liam Cohen’s defensive coordinator. Cutting or trading Christian Kirk as expected would save $15 million on the cap this year, essentially covering Alexander’s contract this season.
A league source told The Leap not to be surprised if the Jags, desperate for defensive difference-makers, give up an early Day 3 pick for Alexander.”
At the NFL Combine, Brian Gutekunst said the Packers obviously prioritize building their own roster to maximize its strengths, but at the same time they acknowledge the situation around the conference. And if this is the approach, trading Jaire to an AFC team would be more appealing.
Alexander has two years left on his deal, without any guarantees left. Next season, he is slated to make $17.5 million. It’s unclear at this point if he would be willing to adjust his contract, maybe adding per-game incentives to compensate for the injury risk, which could potentially help the Packers’ trade talks.
Jaire Alexander was Brian Gutekunst’s first draft pick as a general manager. In 2018, Gutekunst moved down from 14 to 27, and then back up to 18 to grab Alexander. During his time in Green Bay, the defensive back made the Second-Team All-Pro and the Pro Bowl twice (2020 and 2022), and also the All-Rookie Team in 2018. Three years ago, the Packers made him the highest paid defensive backs in NFL history, which he was until Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Surtain II signed new deals last year.
If the Packers can get a decent return for Alexander, that would be extremely helpful. But even though the trade would create a huge need at cornerback, parting ways with Jaire would create significant cap flexibility for the team. A trade or release would save the Packers $6.838 million in 2025, $27.376 million in 2026, and $2.364 million in 2027 in terms of cap space.