Jaire Alexander returns to practice
David Bakhtiari and Za'Darius Smith are still no-go.
By PackerAaron
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur indicated during his Wednesday press conference that cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has been on injured reserve since suffering a shoulder injury back in Week 4's game against the Steelers, would return to the practice field today, albeit in a very limited capacity.
With Alexander returning to practice, the team has 21 days from today to either activate him to the 53 man roster, or put him back on injured reserve and end his season.
LaFleur indicated that other notable injured Packers David Bakhtiari and Za'Darius Smith would not practice today. LaFleur had indicated earlier in the week that rookie center Josh Myers was still not close to returning.
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Comments (36)
Brockrice99
December 08, 2021 at 01:43 pm
"It is time" - Kevin Greene
relleum61
December 08, 2021 at 01:57 pm
The return of Jaire would give us our best set of corners since Sir Charles, Sam and Tramon. Combined with our safeties, the best secondary since that Superbowl run:)
GBPDAN1
December 08, 2021 at 03:09 pm
We will win the SB if Alexander, BAK and Z-Smith all return by the time playoffs start (and with no more major injuries)! Go Pack!
PS: could win the SB without them, but the O-line would benefit greatly with BAK
Spiker
December 08, 2021 at 05:03 pm
They need to be back sooner, to get into game shape. last 2 games are not enough. Even with 5 games left, that is cutting it close
GregC
December 08, 2021 at 05:54 pm
So true. These guys have missed a ton of time.
WestCoastPackerBacker
December 09, 2021 at 05:30 pm
Hmmm, ya gotta play the games. Getting guys healthy will help, but they have to play their best football in the post season and they haven't always elevated their games when it matters the most.
flackcatcher
December 08, 2021 at 03:15 pm
The Packers are very careful with players with major injuries, so at best Alexander might be ready by game 16 at best. In any case it's obvious that they want all back by the first playoff game. Odds that it will happen, pretty slim...
PackBacker
December 08, 2021 at 03:28 pm
Excellent!
I'm preparing for an unpleasantly "invasive" medical procedure tomorrow. Many of you can probably guess what I'm referring to. At least this news lifts my spirits for a little bit.
fish
December 08, 2021 at 04:38 pm
Getting married?
PackBacker
December 08, 2021 at 05:31 pm
Not that bad, luckily.
10ve 💚
December 08, 2021 at 05:47 pm
Just turned 50, huh?
Starrbrite
December 08, 2021 at 07:14 pm
The silver chip-chop…
Starrbrite
December 08, 2021 at 07:15 pm
That was meant to say silver choo-choo…
armyengr
December 09, 2021 at 08:07 am
I had my first colonoscopy done in July at age 73. I was nervous too, especially the prep, but it turned out to be no big deal. Just stay near the toilet during prep.
Leatherhead
December 09, 2021 at 12:57 pm
I was knocked unconscious and when I woke up, it was over. I never felt a thing.
Hematite
December 09, 2021 at 03:36 pm
I had my last colonoscopy done when I was 68.
When I woke up in recovery room both my wife and the nurse were crying.
I asked them what was wrong.
They said that they thought I was going to die.
Now I'm 73 and still kicking😁
fordguy
December 09, 2021 at 04:20 pm
I woke up about 2 seconds to early and I swear the doctor wanked the thing out like he was starting a chainsaw.
Caden819
December 08, 2021 at 04:39 pm
Jaire, Stokes, Douglas, Savage, Amos in the secondary. With the smith bros, Gary, and Clark upfront along with Campbell and Barnes in the middle... I'm smelling a ring
Leatherhead
December 08, 2021 at 07:20 pm
We could bring back the entire defense, minus ZSmith, in 2022. We could even add some good players to it.
Starrbrite
December 08, 2021 at 08:36 pm
My feelings Exactly!
dobber
December 09, 2021 at 10:02 am
I think they'll need to--at minimum--replace Campbell, too. He's earned a better payday than the Packers can likely provide. Will be interesting to see what happens with Douglas. He's the 2021 version of Bashaud Breeland, and he's waffled around the league since he played well for the Packers a couple years ago on low-money, short-term contracts.
As much as I'd like to see those guys back, it's more cost-effective to find the next Campbell and Douglas on cheap deals.
Minniman
December 09, 2021 at 12:16 pm
It does beg the questions though - “why was their play mediocre until now” - “why were they not being retained before”?
What is is about this defense, circumstance or role that clicks for them?
I’m not technically savvy enough to be able to define exactly what it is that’s promoting their play this year, but as you’ve said previously Dobber, this one-year-wonder status will cause other teams pause when putting a dollar value on them.
Either way, I’m loving their “dance” moves this year, and in the sobering perspective of TGR’s great article (this should be pinned to the CHTV home page for the coming off-season) I’m savoring every morsel of this teams play.
Leatherhead
December 09, 2021 at 01:32 pm
They weren’t mediocre. They were above average in multiple metrics the last two prior seasons.
Clearly, Campbell and Douglas have helped us to become one of the league’s best defenses. But there’s a lot of good players on that defense who have played mostly well since LaFleur got here.
flackcatcher
December 09, 2021 at 04:08 pm
Most of the starters and core players have played in this system for three years already. Add time in the weight room with the filling out that most pro players go though, and the Packers got a pretty formable defensive core unit. Mike Pettine (just to drive Coldworld crazy) never had a full DL room that Joe Barry now has. GM choice. Secondary over front seven till this year. And without the long training camp and preseason it takes far longer for any unit either side to gell, sometimes whole seasons. Unlike Letterhead, I'm expecting we'll lose core players from this defense next year. How many is unknown, but it's going to hurt.
Leatherhead
December 09, 2021 at 01:27 pm
I’m not so sure, Dobber. We got him dirt cheap this year, and previously he got $6 million from the Cards in 2020. He’s 29, he’s very durable. If we offered him $6 million, and you averaged that with this year, it’s be $7 million for two years. That doesn’t seem out of line to me.
dobber
December 09, 2021 at 01:38 pm
I'd love it if you're right.
I'm OK with signed contracts and the main tenets of the salary cap, but when it comes to guessing what a guy's gonna get on the open market? I whiff badly.
Leatherhead
December 09, 2021 at 02:32 pm
He might get a better offer if we win the Super Bowl and we let him hit free agency.
I guess I’m calculating that maybe he’d like to quit moving around and he’d like to stay here. He’s already, at age 29, made more money than most people do in a lifetime. Two more seasons at $5 million each, all guaranteed? Maybe an understanding of a future role with the organization when he’s done playing?
If he’d like to stay here, we should be able to work out something that’s mutually agreeable.
TheBigCheeze
December 08, 2021 at 04:43 pm
Just concentrate on the bears...one game at a time...🧀🧀🧀🏆
Leatherhead
December 08, 2021 at 07:13 pm
Good to see. I hope all of our wounded guys are ready for the playoffs. Remember, if we win out, and AZ loses once, we’d get the bye. That means our first playoff game would be in SEVEN weeks, and you can do quite a bit more rehabbing in seven weeks with professional trainers and state of the art equipment.
Enjoy this run, brethren. This is a good team with a good coach and a real good shot this year. We’re probably watching our HOF QB ending his run and there’s no guarantee we’ll see another like him, ever. Can he lead this team to a title? I’m sure he’ll do his best and I’m glad I have a front row seat .
Crankbait
December 09, 2021 at 07:03 am
There is going to be at least one Bears defensive player assigned to taking Aaron Rodgers out of this game. I am hoping the Packers do nothing but run the ball on Sunday.
Minniman
December 09, 2021 at 12:23 pm
I too am expecting a brutal, vengeful Bears team coming to Lambeau.
They were able to spoil Favre’s Ring of Honor induction game a few years ago. Slaying their tormentor in potentially his last divisional game against them would be high on their list for starting the healing process in Chicago.
Expect a defensive ambush Packers.
Leatherhead
December 09, 2021 at 01:55 pm
I remember when Abe Gibron (Corpulent Swine) was the coach of the Bears and Chester Marcol (Polish Messiah) was one of the better kickers in the league. Every time we kicked off, a guy from the Bears was assigned the task of roughing up Marcol. Gibron said it was because Marcol was the safety.
But you know, what goes around comes around. Round and Round. Several years later, Charles Martin tent-pegged McMahon head first into the ground after an interception because he was a “potential tackler”.
I think football is a very rough game and it doesn’t need unnecessary roughness.
Hematite
December 09, 2021 at 04:02 pm
I expect the Bears to display a lot of unnecessary roughness in Sunday's game.
That's been their style!
I've been going to Packers games since 1956 and I've learned that you can always count on the Bears to play dirty.
I did meet Abe Gibron in the lobby of the Northland Hotel in Green Bay prior to a Bears game one year.
Your two word description of Abe is spot on😂
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
December 09, 2021 at 09:05 am
My focus is not really on the return of Jaire, Bakhtiari, or Za'Darius as they will be ready by playoffs. Unfortunately with 5 regular season games left there inevitably is going to be other injuries that are going to occur and we can only keep our fingers crossed regarding who these injuries are to and the severity of the injuries.
The Packers fortunately do not need Jaire, David Bakhtiari, or Za'Darius Smith to actually play meaningful minutes anytime soon as they are in good shape for the playoffs. I'd say if the Packers want these three players ready m to play in the playoffs they need to play meaningful minutes the last two games of the season to test out their injuries and to get ready. We all have seen what happens when LF does not play his starters at all in pre-season (Saints game), so without question these three players need some (do not believe a lot) meaningful playing time prior to the playoffs.
Leatherhead, I like the thought the Packers may field the same defense next year minus Za'Darius. Whether that is possible with the cap concerns remain to be seen but that would be a comforting thought. Garvin at OLB is very young but I have liked what I have seen in him in limited playing time. Regardless, the Pack will need a stud OLB next year and ideally another good DL to compliment what they presently have.
Minniman
December 09, 2021 at 12:34 pm
Totally agree with your point re injuries KTSooY.
Personally, I’m not even that concerned about the #1 seed - they had it last year and came up short.
Concentrate on health, momentum and quality of play and the rest will take care of itself.
If the Packers were able to punch their post-season ticket this week, I wouldn’t even be averse to giving Love meaningful snaps in the last 2-3 games - it would help Rodgers heal up more for the Playoffs.
Leatherhead
December 09, 2021 at 04:51 pm
Knock, releasing ZSmith saves about $16 million. The rest of our defense doesn’t cost that much. A lot of them are on rookie contracts.
PSmith and Clark and Amos are all getting paid well on their second deals. Gary, Alexander, Stokes, Savage, Keke, Slater, Sullivan, Black, Burks, and all the rest are on rookie deals
We’d save less than $4 million by releasing Lowry, and then we’d have to pay a replacement. Foolish, IMO.
So as I see it, a big chunk of this defense returns. Add Douglas and Campbell, draft a guy….this could be a very good defense again next year. And if we were able to acquire extra draft picks somehow…………😎