So redo his contract and make it incentive laden based on if he plays he is still one of the best cover corners in the game

Unless you can get decent capital by trading him, there is little upside in getting rid of him. Despite some bad comments when he was clearly frustrated, he is not a cancer. Cap savings would only matter if it is substantial (I don't think it is) and you use it to get a player of equal or better quality. Otherwise keep him, get him healthy, pump him up with loyalty, and let's see if he can bounce back. It would be horrible if he went elsewhere and had a great season.

Just because he was a top cover corners three years ago doesn’t mean he’s one now. There is absolutely no evidence that he is anything but a JAG at this point. He is an undersized CB whose game was quickness and getting in the head of his opponents. Because of his age and injuries it is likely that he has lost some quickness. As far as the other trait, the last few games he’s played in I’ve seen the opposing WRs laugh at him when he starts his yapping. Time to cut him loose.

Why does it seem like this happens more often than not these days? What can a team do to keep these guys in love with playing football? Money doesn't work, obviously, signing top end free agents to improve the team doesn't help. Incentives?

If the guy is really injured, like Watson, you really can't do anything. If they want to play, they all play injured at some point in the season. I heard an X lineman say that if a team's active players are 80-90% healthy by playoff time you win the Super Bowl.

If they aren't available, a problem in the locker room, or won't restructure his contract to reflect their lack of availability, it's time to move on. I just hate playing for guys that aren't on the team anymore.

The guy has lost his faculties.
And I’m not making reference
to his ego problems.

It’s about the Money now.
The decision to pay him top money;
Is officially, “A regretted decision”.
And as long as Jaire can’t see that.
He’s a Cancer.

The wants, Needs and Goals of the team.
Are the measuring points, that
No longer support his performance issues.

At 28, the decline is noticeable.
What use to be effortless.
Is the best assessment of the problem.
Negativity has affected his motivation.
So save the money for someone else.

I will be very surprised if Gutey does not offer Alexander a lucrative, reworked incentive laden deal paid when he plays.

If JA doesn't even discuss the option, I believe the Packers have their answer. Time to cut bait.

If he does, that would tell them a lot too. Reward him on starts, % snaps, completion %, tackles, PBU and of course INTs and lay it out so he could make even a bit more than his current deal...if he plays.

Ryan Wood opines in his piece on JSOnline this morning that CB--even without JA--is not nearly as pressing a need as WR and pass rush. He gives a lot of credit to Hafley for realigning the secondary--and improved safety play--and scheming to take away downfield chunk plays. I think the takeaway from Wood is that he believes scheme can overcome a lack of top-end talent at CB, especially if the pass rush gets home more often.

If the team has decided to move on from JA, trading him is the most palatable option--anything in return is better than the nothing you get if you cut him. The cap relief doesn't change either way...and with a trade you control where he goes. T7 says that he doesn't like paying guys who aren't around--and I agree--and the cap relief isn't huge if cut before Jun 1. The Packers aren't really under any pressure to make a move on JA soon. They can wait to see how the FA market shapes up and if anyone they like falls into their laps.

Alexander's contract is heavy on cash from here on out (and the guarantees stay with GB), so any team that might deal for him would likely re-do his contract to off-set that hit. That said, I think a taker on an injured CB with a heavy contract seems unlikely. They'll just wait for the Packers to cut him.

It’s time to move on.

Jaire Alexander was a very solid corner for the Packers.

And there’s the rub.

He stood up to challenges from top receivers and found success.

There is a fine line between confidence and cockiness.

The charade of on again off again went on since he injured his knee Nov. 17.

I’m not saying that Alexander wasn’t injured.

But that’s where the Packers are now.

On the surface, it doesn’t make sense, but this is a classic case of addition by subtraction.

It takes a big dog to weigh a ton.

Any pizza can be a personal pizza if you believe in yourself.

They never should have handed him that big contract. Top contracts should not be handed out just because you have a good player at the position. This is a move Belichick never would have made because he understood roster construction and was the reason they staid competitive for nearly 20 years. You only pay special talent top dollar. The Pats lets lots of good CBs walk and they were proven right every time. Gary is another that is not producing up to his contract. Some players are better off letting walk when they take up that much of the salary cap. The worse is when they get hurt and you have 9% of your cap on the sideline doing nothing. Getting 3 good players is better than one real good player you are over paying. Gary and Alexander are good players but not top at their positions.

I would keep him for this season as the cap hit would be much less in 2026. Sign FA DJ Reed ( unless an elite pass rusher can be traded for) and draft another CB.

Regardless of the Alexander conundrum, my opinion is the Packers need to draft the BAP at DL and OL in rounds 1 &2.

DL needs more pass rushing horsepower for the Top Ten D... and the OL depth is weak, and starting roles will need filling, likely this year (Myers) and next when Tom and Walker K's are up.

I am forecasting Gutey addresses CB and WR in rounds 3-5 and via FA. CB is not as dire a problem as S was during last year's offseason.

I wouldn't bag on any player for injuries. Because it is the NFL injuries do happen and it is all part of the game they play. Alexander is and has been injured and that's too bad. It sucks for him and it sucks for the team.

For everyone who thinks they can simply and magically restructure his current deal to take some sort of pay cut with prove it incentives baked in, I want to try what your taking. Yeah sure, he and his agent are going to be so totally on board with that after what you've already seen from his attitude, comments and antics.

When balancing the costs of keeping him versus a separation it is basically a $17 million deal to have him remain. Is a half time Alexander worth that compared to a lesser and/or developing player who may be more available? Or an adequate free agent at a portion of that cost? A season full of non-participant in practice, to questionable, to doubtful, to not playing. Especially it seems when he will be facing better receivers (I dunno, could be just a coincidence). Do we think that will all get refreshed and corrected for 25? Lotta faith in that one cause that's a big ask. If he stays, he stays healthy for the majority of the season and plays at top level? It could maybe happen but the track record is there for the last few years to look at.

Could he go somewhere else, get a new deal, become a new guy and play at top level again for another team and make GB regret it? Sure he could. I liked him enough as a Packer player that if it does happen I'd say, "Good for you Mr. Alexander." Those things happen all the time around the league. The other thing that happens is that he might go off and prove the Packers correct if they do part ways. Because those things happen all the time around the league as well.

I don't get the vibe that he wants to stay in Green Bay. He's been putting those vibes out for a quite a while now and I'm sure he perceives his reasons for that. Making disaffected players stay doesn't often work out well.

Turn the page. Once Upon A Time, he was a young CB with a lot of upside. In 2020, he was a 23 year old Pro Bowl CB. Now, he's a 28 year old who has missed 37 out of 51 starts in 2021, 2023, 2024. He's not a young CB with a lot of upside anymore....now he's an old, expensive guy that is rarely available. He's had one good season out of the last 4.

I do believe that Mr. Alexander has "spit the bit" - having become less manageable - less interested. Moreover he has shown to be less available - more injurable - regressing to a part time player over the last 3 years. Although drawing a full time salary.

Typically NFL players do not age well. Jaire Alexander has not countered this trend. Nor should we conflate sentimentality with reality. In sports this has often produced regrettable outcomes. The time has come to part ways. And as the Packers discovered this year - they will be all right without him.