Jaire Alexander’s availability could swing the Packers-Lions game in a key divisional battle
Jaire Alexander's career has been full of ups and downs. The ups are more related to performance, and the downs are closely connected to injuries. The former All-Pro cornerback missed 13 games in 2021, 10 in 2023, and has already missed five this season because of multiple physical issues. Now, he's dealing with a PCL […]
Jaire Alexander's career has been full of ups and downs. The ups are more related to performance, and the downs are closely connected to injuries. The former All-Pro cornerback missed 13 games in 2021, 10 in 2023, and has already missed five this season because of multiple physical issues.
Now, he's dealing with a PCL injury in his knee. It's something the Green Bay Packers have to consider for the future, especially because Alexander is one of the most expensive defensive backs in football. His availability (or lack thereof) makes it hard to justify that investment.
But while Jaire is on the roster, and considering what the options are, it's difficult to overestimate how impactful he is when on the field.
Jaire returned to practice this week on a limited basis, putting him in position to have a shot at playing against the Detroit Lions on Thursday. It's one of the biggest games of the season, and having Jaire would be imperative for Green Bay against one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL.
Performance
It's difficult to measure Jaire's individual impact because cornerback is such a weak-link position. But even if the defense has been better lately, the unit has allowed 19.8 points per game in which Jaire played, and 20.2 per game he didn't.
The individual performance and the comparison to his counterparts are the most glaring aspects.
Even battling injuries this season, Jaire Alexander has allowed a 79.9 passer rating when targeted. No other Packers cornerback has allowed a passer rating under 100. Jaire has two interceptions, and all the other cornerbacks combine for zero. He also has three pass breakups, and all other cornerbacks combine for five.
Besides being effective when he is targeted, Jaire gives defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a safe spot to work around. Outside of Carrington Valentine, who's played fewer snaps, Alexander is targeted less frequently on a snap-per-snap basis than the other boundary cornerbacks — 9.28 snaps per target, well ahead of Eric Stokes (6.85), for example).
The Packers will probably want to add to the cornerback room in 2025. Eric Stokes is a free agent, and they feel more comfortable with Carrington Valentine as a depth option at this point. But that's a conversation for another day. For now, it's up to Jaire Alexander to make the entire unit look better, and he has done it when he is on the field.
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