The mystery about whether All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander will play for the Green Bay Packers in 2025 could soon be solved after the latest insider update.
Alexander’s future with the Packers has remained clouded in uncertainty over the past several months. An injury limited him to seven games for a second consecutive season in 2024, this time impacting his knee. According to Over the Cap, Alexander’s cap hit will also rise to $24.63 million in 2025 for the third year of his four-year contract.
Additionally, comments from both sides have cast doubt on reconciliation. Alexander declined to speak with reporters at the end of the regular season, saying he didn’t have “anything good to say.” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst also continually left the door open for multiple outcomes, including Alexander playing elsewhere in 2025.
The Packers, however, took a positive step toward possibly resolving the situation with Alexander’s contract status on Tuesday, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
“According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Packers have proposed a restructured contract to Alexander, which tangibly demonstrates their interest in retaining the two-time All-Pro cornerback during an offseason in which they have been open to trading him,” Schneidman wrote Tuesday morning before the start of OTAs.
Jaire Alexander Will Attend Minicamp Regardless of Contract
Schneidman did not provide specifics about the restructured contract offer the Packers put forth to Alexander and his representation, but he did share another vital piece of information about the star cornerback’s plans for the rest of the offseason program.
“He has not yet reported to Lambeau Field for in-person voluntary offseason work as his future with the team remains uncertain, but he plans to attend mandatory minicamp on June 10, if not before, even if his contract situation isn’t resolved, according to a source,” Schneidman wrote.
The latest developments in the Alexander saga are far more encouraging than the ones that took place earlier in the offseason. In March, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that the Packers were “still trying to trade” the two-time Pro Bowler to resolve the situation.
Then, after the Packers waited until the seventh round to add a cornerback in the 2025 NFL draft, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote that the Packers still did not plan on bringing back Alexander after deciding in February to move on.
While the Packers’ willingness to restructure Alexander’s contract indicates positive progress in the situation, though, Schneidman added that it is still a possibility that the team could outright release Alexander for cap savings before he reports for minicamp.
“The Packers could still release Alexander before he shows if negotiations for restructuring reach a dead end,” Schneidman added.
Packers Are Far Stronger at CB With Jaire Alexander
The perception that the Packers will move on from Alexander before the 2025 season continues to linger, but the sensibility of such a move has dwindled since the draft.
While many thought the Packers would invest strongly in cornerback talent in the draft and potentially even target a top prospect with their first-round pick, the team defied expectations and waited until Day 3 to add a new rookie cornerback, selecting Tulane’s Micah Robinson — the 22nd cornerback to come off the board — at No. 237 overall.
The Packers had also invested in the position during free agency, signing veteran Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract. Even still, Alexander’s presumed departure and several free-agent exits — including former first-rounder Eric Stokes — earlier in the offseason left significant post-draft questions about the strength of the position.
Now, the Packers find themselves in a situation where keeping Alexander is by far in the best interests of their team, so long as they can resolve any lingering disputes about his contract or his willingness to return to Green Bay for the forthcoming NFL season.
If Alexander moves on, the Packers will need to lean on Hobbs, veteran Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as their top three boundary cornerbacks in 2025. They could also put youngsters such as Robinson or 2024 seventh-rounder Kalen King to the test to pad out their depth in the room, though it is a more appealing picture with Alexander.
