The vibes are low for the Green Bay Packers heading into the NFL Playoffs, for a couple of different reasons. Prior to Sunday, star cornerback Jaire Alexander was placed on IR. This means the earliest he can return is the Super Bowl, if the Packers make it.
To make matters worse, the most embarrassing thing possible for the franchise happened: the Chicago Bears won in Green Bay, 22-24. This snapped an 11-game winning streak for Green Bay in their rivalry with Chicago. It also was the first time the Bears won in Green Bay since 2015.
During the game, another notable injury happened, with Christian Watson getting injured yet again. This time, he went down on a non-contact knee injury. Needless to say, we should expect him out for Wild Card Weekend vs the Eagles. Jordan Love got hurt in the game as well, but this appears minor and should not affect him for this weekend.
Jaire Alexander Injury Update – Placed On IR
It has been a season to forget for Jaire Alexander, though it is not his fault. He tore his PCL earlier in the season, which is not an easy injury to come back from. The injury occurred back in Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jaire Alexander returned to the Green Bay Packers‘ lineup in Week 11, but he was able to play only 10 snaps in the game. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Alexander was back at practice to test his knee out again. However, something has not been quite right. It has continued to swell up on him. As you can imagine, the swelling causes a lack of mobility that would be troublesome for a cornerback, so the recent clean-up surgery is hopefully going to remove what was causing the irritation.
If this situation feels eerily similar to what we experienced with David Bakhtiari, it’s because it is. Hopefully, all is well with Jaire Alexander going forward. When he is on the field, he is among the best in the NFL.
Jaire Alexander Contract – Will the Packers Bring Him Back?
With all of the time on the sideline this season, it’s natural to wonder about the Jaire Alexander contract. The Packers have an out in his contract following this season, resulting in a dead cap of $19.1M. If the team brings him back on this deal, he would have a cap hit of $25.9M in 2025 and $27.9M in 2026.
Of course, if Alexander returns to the Packers, it would likely be on a reworked deal. However, given the way the Green Bay Packers front office operates with veterans, it is almost certain they will give him a low-ball offer. It may be too low for Alexander to accept, leading to another unfriendly exit between the organization and a long-time player.
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