Acme Packing Company
Alexander is a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
Earlier today, it was reported that the Green Bay Packers were planning on releasing All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander on Monday in a move that will save the Packers $35 million in cap space over two seasons. As soon as the clock hit 3 pm Central, the Packers made it official by posting a goodbye on social media and announcing the release on their website.
Here’s what general manager Brian Gutekunst had to say about Alexander in the Packers’ press release:
“In his seven seasons with the Packers, Jaire established himself as one of the premier players in the NFL at one of the game’s most challenging positions,” said Gutekunst. “His contributions to our organization were felt on the field, in the locker room and in our community, and he will be missed. We appreciate all he gave and we wish him all the best moving forward.”
Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy, who will retire on July 25th, spoke to WBAY’s Dave Schroeder earlier on Monday and made clear that the move was related to Alexander’s health. He stated that Alexander has been “injured a lot” recently and that the team has “kinda been used to” Alexander not being on their depth chart already.
Because Alexander is a vested veteran, he’s not subject to the NFL’s waiver system. He’s now a true free agent for the first time in his career and is eligible to sign with whichever team is willing to satisfy his contract demands. Bleacher Report broke down which teams might be interested in adding Alexander at this point in the offseason, with their top two choices both coming in the NFC: the Packers’ division rival Minnesota Vikings, and the team that beat them in the playoffs last season, the Philadelphia Eagles.
