Steelers Now
The Green Bay Packers are releasing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander after apparently being unable to come to terms on a re-worked contract, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Pittsburgh Steelers had been connected to Alexander as a potential trade candidate earlier this offseason.
Alexander, 28, and the Packers had been in talks about a new contract for the two-time Pro Bowler this offseason, and there had also been rumors of a potential trade, including to the Steelers, though those died down after Pittsburgh signed fellow veteran cornerback Darius Slay as a free agent.
It’s not clear if the Steelers would nice still have any interest in Alexander at this point. None of he, Slay or Joey Porter Jr. have played very much slot cornerback in their career, so it would be an awkward fit at this point.
In addition to Slay and Porter, the Steelers also have former draft pick Cory Trice and free agent Brandin Echols at outside cornerback, and an addition would create a bit of a logjam.
Alexander, 28, has also struggled to stay healthy as of late, playing in just seven games in each of the past two seasons. However, when healthy, he is still one of the best ballhawks in the league.
Since being selected in the first-round (No. 18 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft, Alexander has recorded 287 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions and 70 passes defensed.
Alexander still had two years left on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed ahead of the 2022 season and was scheduled to earn a base salary of $16.15 million in 2025. His release will cause a dead cap hit of $7.5 million, but save the Packers $17.1 million in cap space.
Aaron Becker contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Packers to Release Pro Bowl Cornerback, Steelers a Fit?
