Jaire Alexander's deal makes it clear things were done with the Packers, and while risky, the outcome might work for both sides
Cornerback Jaire Alexander has a new home. On Wednesday, the former All-Pro signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, and it's actually a pretty team-friendly contract. Alexander will receive $4 million in guaranteed money, with $2 million more available via incentives.Considering the Packers' cornerback situation, there's a strong argument that the Packers could or […]
Cornerback Jaire Alexander has a new home. On Wednesday, the former All-Pro signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, and it's actually a pretty team-friendly contract. Alexander will receive $4 million in guaranteed money, with $2 million more available via incentives.
Considering the Packers' cornerback situation, there's a strong argument that the Packers could or should have kept him, but it certainly seems like both sides were ready to move on. It's a risky proposition for everyone involved, however it's a positive outcome for all.
Value
The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reported that the Packers did make an offer to Jaire Alexander to keep him. However, his side didn't think the deal would be good enough. Days after his release, Alexander's father expressed on social media his dissatisfaction with what the Packers had on the table.
Alexander was slated to make $17.5 million in 2025, and no team in the NFL was willing to pay it. Basically, the negotiation would start from the ground with any team. It hasn't been reported how much the Packers offered, or how the structure of the new deal would look like. But a $6 million total deal with only $4 million in guarantees seems pretty fair, and an amount that Green Bay could comfortably pay if it wanted to.
There are two options here. One, the Packers' offer was actually lower than that, to which point it's hard to blame Alexander for wanting out. Two, the Packers were willing to pay him what the Ravens will, but Jaire didn't want it from the Packers based on how their conversation was going.
Taking a 30,000-foot view, it certainly looks like both sides were ready to move on.
Risk for the Packers
The problem for Green Bay is not new. The cornerback room is questionable with Keisean Nixon as the primary option, and Nate Hobbs as the biggest offseason investment.
It would have been safer to keep Jaire, even though, as president Mark Murphy said last week, the defense is used to playing without him. At this point, the extra cap is important, but there would be the extra cap with a contract adjustment anyway. And it's June, there aren't great options available to replace what Alexander could offer when he's on the field.
Risk for the Ravens
It's a fairly low risk for Baltimore, because the team already has a decent depth at cornerback. Sure enough, Jaire offers a higher ceiling, and that's what they are looking for. If he suffers with injuries once again, the Ravens will pay to not have that ceiling — and it wouldn't be a surprise considering how things have gone for Jaire over the past four years.
At the same time, it's a team-friendly contract anyway. Baltimore had $18.946 million in cap space, which means that Alexander's salary won't affect the short- or long-term financial flexibility of the team in any meaningful way.
Risk for Jaire Alexander
The risk for Alexander is not something that he would have with the Packers. Green Bay offered him a deal that would have voided the final year of his contract in 2026, so it would be a one-year deal anyway, without significant guarantees.
On the Ravens, Alexander will also have a prove-it one-year deal. The contract is designed for the cornerback to return to the market and find a longer-term pact next offseason. The problem is that Jaire is getting older in a tough position for older players, and the fact that he didn't get any type of enticing long-term offer is telling about his moment in the NFL.
Why it's a decent outcome
Even though there are risks for everyone, an argument can be made that both sides are ultimately happy. The Packers didn't truly want to keep the player and opened a significant amount of cap space over the next three years. Even better, Alexander chose an AFC team and avoided another revenge tour like so many other former Packers players did.
For Jaire, he goes to a new situation with a clean slate. It's a good organization, and there's a realistic scenario where he recovers his value before hitting free agency again.
For Baltimore, it's a low-risk, high-reward move. If things go poorly, the Ravens paid a relatively low amount of money to see it. If things go right, Baltimore will have a Pro Bowl candidate on the roster for cheap, with a chance to keep him beyond 2025 or do the most Ravens-y thing, which is allowing him to leave and get a future compensatory pick.
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
