Jaire Alexander has had his ups and downs. Over the last four seasons, he made the Second-Team All-Pro twice, and in the other two years he missed significant time with different injuries. He's still a big part of the defense, but there have been some questions about how much money he makes and what he does on the field.
Pro Football Network's Dallas Robinson made a list of the worst contracts by each NFL team, and Alexander made the list for Green Bay.
"Jaire Alexander's high-end play is as good as nearly any NFL corner's, but injuries have kept him off the field. A shoulder sprain cost him 13 games in 2021, while another shoulder issue kept Alexander on the sidelines for all but seven games in 2023.
Cornerback performance is mercurial as is, and Alexander was elite in 2020 and 2022, earning second-team All-Pro nods while allowing a sub-70 passer rating in both seasons. He'll need to return to that level in 2024, when his $21 million AAV will still make him the highest-paid CB in the NFL."
Heavy contract
In fact, Jaire Alexander's contract is pretty expensive. He signed a four-year, $84 million extension back in 2022, and the cornerback market hasn't moved since — maybe, the Packers miscalculated how it would work out. The intrinsic nature of the position brings a risky volatility element, and it has scared teams out of big moves.
Trevon Diggs, Tyson Campbell, L'Jarius Sneed, and Jaylon Johnson have all gotten extensions, but none of them reached $20 million in yearly average. Alexander doesn't have guarantees left on his deal, but he is slated to make $15.3 million in 2024, $17.5 million in 2025, and $19.5 million in 2026. The heaviest part was a $30 million signing bonus, paid in 2022 and with a cap hit prorated throughout the life of the deal.
Injuries are not necessarily a controllable variable, but another concerning aspect is Alexander's age. Just like running backs, cornerbacks tend to start regressing early. Alexander is still young at 27, but he's entering the seventh season of his NFL career.
How Jaire can overcome question marks
Jaire Alexander is still a high-end player . Even though he's coming off his worst season by PFF defensive grade and coverage grade, Alexander showed signs of good play and played at an elite level in 2022.
Off-the-field issues were a problem in 2023, to a point where the Packers applied a team-imposed suspension on the cornerback after a debacle during the Carolina Panthers game. Alexander seems to have taken the correct approach since, which is imperative for what the Packers expect from him.
"Ja's been outstanding," head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this year. "He's been here every day, shows up, great attitude, eager to learn, is out there competing with the guys, talking trash, which I love because I love just amping up that level of competition in a fun way. I think he's been a great teammate and been a great leader for us."
Age can be dicey for cornerbacks, but experience is still helpful.
"Just going into Year 7," Jaire highlighted, "I'm trying not to make it as much about myself and just do what's best for the team."
Other candidates
The fact that a player as good as Jaire Alexander made PFN’s list is actually a positive. It shows the Packers don’t have really bad deals in the first place.
Even though the money isn’t that significant — and it got more team-friendly after a recent paycut —, backup guard Royce Newman is probably a better option to make the list after all. Backup tackle Andre Dillard got a veteran minimum without guarantees, but you could make an argument for him as well.
The Packers have a team full of young players on their rookie contracts. Players getting big money are the ones who really deserve it. It’s a good situation to be in, and it shows how effective general manager Brian Gutekunst has been at building the team in sustainable fashion.
Related: How Jaire Alexander can get even better under Jeff Hafley's system
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