The moment has come for the Green Bay Packers to sever ways with one of its more problematic superstars, cornerback Jaire Alexander, as the team finds itself at a crossroads.
Alexander was suspended for one week for placing himself ahead of the team during the pre-game coin toss with the Carolina Panthers in Week 15, which eliminated him from Green Bay’s crucial road game against the Minnesota Vikings this coming weekend.
In addition, on November 5, the cornerback sustained a shoulder injury against the Los Angeles Rams. He was back to practice eleven days later. But he kept missing games for a few weeks, which ESPN’s Rob Demovsky called “mysterious” on December 22.
On November 16, Alexander made his way back to practice, but he hasn’t been there since. He has now missed six straight games due to the shoulder ailment (plus three more earlier in the season due to a back issue), but he has never been placed on injured reserve, which would have allowed him to play for at least four more games without having to take a roster spot, according to Demovsky. “It’s sparked a lot of rumors that Alexander, the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback at almost $22 million annually, is sitting out for reasons other than his injury and that he’s not happy with the defense’s current direction.”
In just the first year of a four-year, $84 million contract deal, Alexander has shown self-interest and an apparent lack of dedication to the team. As such, the Packers should think about selling their top cornerback before his value drastically declines.
