It finally happened on Monday: the Jaire Alexander era in Green Bay officially came to an end. For a brief moment, it seemed like there might be a last-minute resolution—rumors even suggested Alexander was headed back to Green Bay to join offseason workouts, which isn’t typically what a player does if he’s forcing his way out.
But in the end, the expected outcome became reality. Alexander is now free to explore new opportunities (sort of), and the Packers get a significant amount of cap space back. It’s a clean split that benefits both parties—if not anyone else. And for those of us who live for the behind-the-scenes drama, Albert Breer’s breakdown of how everything unfolded is pure gold.
According to Breer, the separation was a long time coming. Alexander was never going to earn the $17.5 million in non-guaranteed money slated for 2025—not because he wasn’t valuable (he clearly still made an impact when healthy), but because he wasn’t on the field often enough. The Packers tried to trade him back in March but found no takers willing to absorb his contract. Alexander made it clear he’d rather be released and choose his own destination than restructure to help facilitate a trade.
Green Bay made one last push during draft weekend to find a trade partner—again, no luck. They even attempted to keep him by offering to cut the final year off his deal, letting him hit free agency in 2025 if he accepted a new incentive-heavy contract. Alexander declined, unhappy with the terms, and the impasse dragged into June.
In the end, not much changed from where things stood at season’s end. The Packers couldn’t move him, and Alexander wasn’t willing to compromise. Now, he’s likely headed to a contender—maybe the Bills—while the Packers pivot and pretend Keisean Nixon was always Plan A.