• Jaire Alexander and the Packers part ways after offseason discussions: Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Green Bay will cut ties with the star cornerback after a potential trade and a contract restructure were considered.

• Several teams are still in the market for a cornerback: The Eagles are always on the hunt for veteran talent, and the Rams and Vikings are also potential landing spots.

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The NFL offseason never stays quiet for long, and the Green Bay Packers reminded us of that by releasing star cornerback Jaire Alexander on Monday.

The move comes after months of the two sides reportedly trying to find common ground on a contract restructure for Alexander, who is one of the best cornerbacks in the league when healthy but has struggled to stay on the field.

The last time Alexander played more than 1,000 snaps in a single season (starting 15 of 16 games), he earned an elite 91.1 PFF coverage grade, allowed fewer than 400 receiving yards and broke up 14 passes. But that was in 2020. Since then, he has played more than 15 games in a season just once (2022). In 2021, he saw action in just four games due to a shoulder injury. In 2023, he played just seven games due to back and shoulder issues. And in 2024, he logged snaps in just seven games again, this time due to a quad injury and, later, a PCL injury. 

While Alexander has never recorded a single-season PFF coverage grade below 73.0 in his career, the best ability is availability. According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, with this move coming after June 1, the Packers will split $17 million in dead money into $7.5 million in 2025 and $9.5 million in 2026, with overall cap savings of $17.2 million this year and $17.5 million next year.

At just 28 years old, and as one of the most competitive players in the league, Alexander’s time in the league isn’t over. Let’s look at some potential landing spots.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

We have to throw this one in here because, well, it’s the Eagles. Part of their run to the Super Bowl last year was capitalizing on players like this becoming available and forming the best team in the league. Alexander was also born in Philadelphia, though he grew up mostly in North Carolina.

The Eagles have Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in their secondary, two players who were excellent as rookie starters in 2024. But they did lose Darius Slay, as well as Isaiah Rodgers, from their Super Bowl secondary. Perhaps Alexander would take a big discount to be the veteran in the room for a team looking for another title. 

LOS ANGELES RAMS

The Rams surprisingly didn’t make any changes at cornerback this offseason. Darious Williams (865), Cobie Durant (843) and Ahkello Witherspoon (598) played the most snaps at cornerback for the team last season, but none earned a PFF coverage grade above 62.0.

Alexander is the kind of veteran whom Los Angeles has been interested in before. The team traded for fellow star cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2019, which proved a worthwhile addition. A move for Alexander wouldn’t be as big of a splash, but it would be in the Rams’ wheelhouse. 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

This would be a top-tier storyline. Alexander and Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson have been fierce competitors for years, taking the Packers and Vikings’ divisional rivalry to the next level. Alexander has called one of Jefferson’s biggest performances — nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers — a “fluke” and has mocked Jefferson’s signature griddy celebration.

Alexander would also fit into defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive approach with his 99th-percentile PFF coverage grade since 2022 and all of his ball production (eight interceptions and 21 pass breakups despite missed time). The Vikings are trying to replace Camryn Bynum, Shaquill Griffin and Stephon Gilmore from last year’s secondary, making Alexander a clear potential fit.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

This is another example of a team going all-in if the signing were to happen. The Ravens lost Brandon Stephens from last year’s secondary but still have Marlon Humphrey to play inside and out, as well as second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins, who could be in for a big season after earning a 69.0 PFF coverage grade as a rookie with 11 forced incompletions.

Baltimore signed Chidobe Awuzie to a one-year deal this offseason, but Alexander would be an upgrade over Awuzie’s 62.4 and 58.3 PFF coverage grades over the past two seasons.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

This one feels a bit out of left field, but stick with us. The Panthers’ secondary under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero last season was fairly aggressive, playing single-high coverages 66.4% of the time. They used Cover 3 more than Cover 1, running the zone scheme on 38.7% of snaps compared to 16.9% in 2023.

Alexander’s 98th-percentile PFF coverage grade over the past three years in single-coverage situations is evidence of his impact from a single-high alignment as a cornerback who can succeed in both man and zone situations when there is only one safety deep.

Making this move would depend on where the Panthers believe they are in their competing window, but they would surely be interested at the right price. It would also be somewhat of a homecoming for Alexander, who played football at Rocky River High School just outside of the Charlotte area.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Now that Pete Carroll is the head coach in Las Vegas, don’t count the Raiders out of the Alexander sweepstakes. Carroll knows how to build an elite secondary, as evidenced by the Legion of Boom during his time in Seattle. He is also known as a player’s coach and someone who can handle big-personality players.

Despite playing in a tough division, we know the Raiders are in on competing now since they traded for quarterback Geno Smith. Their secondary could use some help, too, after Jakorian Bennett was the 2024 cornerback group’s highest-graded player in coverage at just 61.0. The team’s 30.4 PFF coverage grade was also by far the worst mark in the NFL in 2024. Las Vegas brought in Eric Stokes in free agency and drafted Darien Porter, but Alexander would be an immediate, proven starter for the Raiders.