Jaire

Alexander

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported Tuesday that Alexander, who participated in the Packers’ remote sessions last week, and the team “continue to talk about a possible resolution” regarding their contract dispute. The Packers reportedly explored trading the 28-year-old corner earlier this offseason, but his respective $24.6 million and $27 million cap hits over the next two years loom large. The two sides are in a standoff, and it is unclear how things will unfold from here.

“All options are still on the table: release, trade or return,” Demovsky added. The oft-injured Alexander, 28, has reached a stalemate with the Packers front office, which has reportedly tried to trade the veteran corner this offseason. The Packers would save $6.8 million in cap space by parting ways with Alexander, graded last year by PFF as the NFL’s eighth best cover corner. It appears he could stay in Green Bay after all.

Silverstein’s sources add that the Packers were close to dealing Alexander near the start of free agency, but that the combination of “trade compensation and Alexander’s willingness to alter his contract to fit the other team’s salary cap have made it difficult to close a deal.” We’ve been blurbing about Alexander’s situation all offseason, and nothing has changed to this point. If the draft passes without a trade, we’re likely headed to a place where the Packers would be more compelled to release or keep him than trade him.

Gutekunst said almost the exact same thing back in February while also acknowledging that the two sides could be headed for a split. Alexander, 28, appeared in just seven games last year due to injury but said he had “nothing good to say” about the organization after their playoff run ended in the NFC Wild Card Round. Speaking at the NFL owners meeting, Gutekunst said the team would like to get something in return for Alexander if possible, but with two years left on his deal and his recent injury history, a trade could prove difficult to pull off.

Alexander, 28, a two-time Pro Bowler, has been rumored to be on his way out of Green Bay after struggling through a laundry list of injuries over the past few seasons. Alexander refused to speak with reporters after the season, saying he had “nothing good to say” about his situation in Green Bay. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman said it “would be a win for the Packers if they can get anything in return for [Alexander] instead of just releasing him.” Pro Football Focus graded Alexander as last season’s eighth best cover corner. There will certainly be a market for Alexander in the coming weeks.

At the NFL Combine, Gutekunst was asked about Alexander’s status after a rocky season. Alexander played in just seven games last season and has dealt with several injuries over the past two years. The Packers would save $6.8 million in cap space by parting ways. Gutekunst expressed that the team has yet to make a decision and the defense would be better with Alexander; both sides have been frustrated over his injury issues. A change of scenery for Alexander remains a strong possibility, allowing the Packers to save money amid a seemingly strained relationship.

Demovsky writes that “multiple team sources have privately expressed their frustration with Alexander’s inability to stay healthy and/or play through injuries.” That about sums up what appeared to be an awkward season for Alexander and the Packers, as the veteran corner appeared in just seven games due to a knee injury that kept him out of games but not always out of practice. Alexander declined to speak with the media at the end of the season, outside of saying he had “nothing good to say.” Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said after the season that there was no disconnect between Alexander and the team, but the optics seem to suggest anything but that. Alexander is due to make $17.5 million next season, and his release would free up $6.8 million in cap space if he’s designated as a pre-June 1 release. It’s hard to imagine any team trading for the oft-injured, 28-year-old corner, so there’s a good chance an outright release will be in his future.

The Packers and Alexander could be heading for a split after Gutekunst acknowledged that “there’s frustration from both sides that he can’t (get on the field).” Despite the frustrations, Gutekunst said Alexander’s contract won’t prohibit the veteran corner from returning, but it is worth pointing out that the Packers could save $17 million against the cap if they released Alexanders with a post-June 1 designation. Alexander was limited to just seven games this season and will turn 28 next month. This isn’t the last we’ll hear of this situation, but Gutekunst appears to be downplaying any issues for the time being.

Alexander declined to have a session with the media and said “he didn’t have anything good to say so definitely wasn’t going to talk.” Okay then! An Alexander release would save the Packers almost $7 million against their 2025 cap, with a post-June 1 designation saving $17 million but spreading the hit into 2026. Alexander played well while healthy this year, but “while healthy” has dogged the star cornerback as he has played 560 snaps or less in three of his last four seasons. If he does hit free agency, he’ll probably be perceived as risky enough to be a one-year deal candidate.

Alexander has been attempting to come back from the knee issue for over a month, but it never responded how he and the team wanted it to. The final straw came last week when Alexander went from being listed as a full participant in practice on Wednesday to a DNP on Friday. His season ends with seven pass breakups and two interceptions. Alexander is still a top-flight corner when healthy but has appeared in more than seven games just once in the past four seasons.