The Green Bay Packers are moving on from one of their longest-tenured defenders, cornerback Jaire Alexander.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Packers are planning to release Alexander on Monday. The move comes after the two parties explored both a trade and a restructured contract before deciding to part ways.
Alexander was a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and quickly blossomed into a top cornerback for the Packers. He was named to the NFL’s All-Pro second team twice during his seven years in Green Bay and had a career-high five interceptions in 2022.
Over the last couple of seasons, Alexander has struggled to stay healthy. He was limited to a combined 14 games during the 2023 and 2024 seasons while dealing with knee, groin, back, shoulder and quad injuries.
Alexander is still just 28 and performed well when on the field, allowing a 79.9 passer rating and recording two interceptions during the 2024 NFL season. That should make him of interest to contenders searching for cornerback help.
Here’s a look at some of Alexander’s top potential landing spots.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are loading up for a potential Super Bowl run after signing Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal. Could they target Alexander, his former teammate, to help provide depth and talent at cornerback?
Pittsburgh already added two veteran corners to its roster during the offseason in Darius Slay and Brandin Echols, but at this stage in his career, Alexander is better than both. The Steelers could consider signing him and having him split playing time with the 34-year-old Slay to keep both healthy long-term.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have frequently been mentioned as a landing spot for Jalen Ramsey, who the Miami Dolphins are looking to trade. They could shift their attention to Alexander on the free-agent market to add talent to the team’s cornerback room.
Los Angeles is currently slated to start Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon as its outside corners. Alexander would provide an upgrade and could help Chris Shula’s defense take a step forward in 2025.
Las Vegas Raiders
Pete Carroll has earned a reputation for coaching up cornerbacks during his NFL career, but the Raiders are presently lacking a No. 1 corner. Alexander would change that, and he projects as a nice longer-term complement to third-round rookie Darien Porter – a raw, bigger-bodied defensive back.
The Raiders already signed one former Packers cornerback during the offseason in Eric Stokes. Perhaps they will go back to the well and target Alexander.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have two great, young cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but the team could use more veteran depth. It’s also worth noting defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently said the team would prefer to keep DeJean in the slot and could potentially play him at safety in base packages.
Alexander would provide needed experience to the Eagles’ cornerback room and would be an upgrade over the departed Slay.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals struggled in coverage during the 2024 NFL season. Part of their issue was they didn’t have a clear-cut top cornerback, as Cam Taylor-Britt struggled to perform consistently and was benched at times throughout the year as a result.
Alexander would provide Cincinnati a player who has performed steadily when healthy. That’s something the team could use after eschewing the cornerback position entirely during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Atlanta Falcons
A.J. Terrell is one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks. Atlanta hasn’t yet found a suitable partner for him, as Mike Hughes allowed a 98.7 passer rating last season while Dee Alford surrendered a mark of 119.2.
Alexander and Terrell would form a fearsome duo while allowing Hughes and Alford to slot in as depth options. That could help the Falcons improve upon a defense that ranked 28th in defensive EPA last season.
Miami Dolphins
As mentioned earlier, the Dolphins are looking to move on from Ramsey. If they do, they will have a gaping hole at cornerback.
Alexander could fill that void at a lower cost than Ramsey while looking to stay healthy and rebuild his value.
