Ravens take risky but high-upside swing to improve the defense, and it lines up perfectly with what Lamar Jackson wanted
There's risk, but the reward was just too high to pass up. On Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens agreed to a contract with former All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, released by the Green Bay Packers last week after seven seasons with the team.Jaire played with quarterback Lamar Jackson at Louisville, and their friendship was one of the […]
There's risk, but the reward was just too high to pass up. On Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens agreed to a contract with former All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, released by the Green Bay Packers last week after seven seasons with the team.
Jaire played with quarterback Lamar Jackson at Louisville, and their friendship was one of the drivers to make the decision happen.
"I'm excited to be a part of the Ravens Flock," Jaire said right after signing his deal.
It’s a one-year, $6 million contract. With the Ravens, Alexander will try to reestablish his value and return to the open market next offseason. He will have $4 million in guarantees, plus $2 million available via incentives.
What it means for the Ravens
For the Ravens, the context clues were present after quarterback Lamar Jackson conceded that he'd talked to Alexander since being cut by the Packers. Their history together as a dynamic duo is sure to pull on the heartstrings of Louisville Cardinals fans everywhere, but it's also an important piece of the puzzle for this working in Baltimore.
By the end of Alexander's tenure with the Packers, he had developed a reputation of not only durability questions but also being a bit eccentric. He was suspended for one game by the team after "naming himself a captain" for conduct detrimental to the team. Jackson, as a former teammate, is the right kind of presence to keep Alexander focused on the task at hand.
Financially, the Ravens have a lot of irons in the fire. The team is, per general manager Eric DeCosta, having early talks about a new deal with Jackson. There are also several other prominent players entering into contract years, making Alexander's addition one that likely comes with minimal financial risk. The reports that his ideal is $6 million in value may come with fine print, but even if it doesn't, it's a significantly lower price point than what many expected Alexander would sign for. The early reports even suggest Alexander had more money on the table elsewhere.
From a football sense, Alexander helps join the fray opposite Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey to give the Ravens another ballhawk in the secondary. His addition makes veteran Chidobe Awuzie a bit redundant but, if healthy, should be a major upgrade over departed free agent cornerback Brandon Stephens.
If healthy, however it’s a big if based off the last two seasons.
Performance vs. injuries
Jaire Alexander is still a great player when he's available. In 2024, he allowed a 79.9 passer rating when targeted for the Green Bay Packers. He had two interceptions, including a pick-six against the Tennessee Titans, and three pass breakups. Alexander allowed receptions in only 56% of the times he was targeted, which was his best number since an All-Pro season in 2020. But it doesn't make the Packers' decision to release him absurd, because there were several factors helping explain it.
First, injuries. Over the past four years, Alexander was on the field in only 34 of 68 possible games, with injuries all around his body — shoulder, knee, groin. Last year alone, he missed 10 games. He played only 10 snaps in six games against NFC North opponents. There were also some internal issues, even though the Packers always tried to hide them as much as possible. When Alexander got suspended by the team in 2023 after a coin toss fiasco in Carolina, head coach Matt LaFleur said the decision was a culmination of factors. "It was never for one thing," LaFleur explained.
After how things went last season, ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported that the Packers "expressed frustration with Alexander's inability to stay healthy and/or play through injuries," an indication that the team probably was more willing to allow him to play than the player was to being on the field down the stretch.
The Packers considered keeping Alexander, but the player didn't like what Green Bay had to offer.
The Ravens had to weigh all these factors. With salary cap room to make the deal, the depth to endure him missing time due to new injuries, and the culture to absorb his unique personality, Alexander's high-end play could be worth it.
Jaire Alexander’s dad reacts strongly to Packers’ release and shares perspective that adds new layer to the whole situation
It probably tells you how the player himself faced the situation
