Post-draft intel hints the Packers could be getting closer to finding a resolution for Jaire Alexander's uncertain future

The Green Bay Packers haven't found a definitive answer to the Jaire Alexander conundrum, but it's getting progressively closer. And it seems like a return to Green Bay is the most likely scenario at this point. ESPN's NFL insider Jeremy Fowler indicated that the Packers and Jaire are negotiating a revised deal to keep him around.

"The Packers passing on cornerback for the first six rounds seems to signify that Jaire Alexander is staying with the team, barring a unique trade offer or a contractual stalemate.

The Packers and Alexander are working on a resolution that should materialize soon. A revised contract for Alexander, due $17.5 million in cash this year, to balance his injury history with his longtime status as an elite corner might be the most sensible play." — Jeremy Fowler.

A reworked contract would certainly include a base salary paycut, as Alexander is slated to make $17.5 million. The new deal would lower the cornerback's guaranteed cash earnings and cap hit in 2025, but would probably also include playing time incentives for Jaire to possibly make some of the money back if he's healthy to play.

Jaire Alexander is still a great player when he's available. In 2024, for instance, he allowed a 79.9 passer rating when targeted. However, the lack of availability has been a real issue—Alexander missed 34 of the past 68 Packers games due to injuries. Last season, he played only seven games.

Why a trade is so hard to pull off

The Packers entered the offseason with the main idea of trading Jaire Alexander for draft compensation. However, it's something hard to execute. There were interested teams, but they wanted Alexander to take a paycut as well—nobody seemed willing to pay his $17.5 million salary with the injury risk.

And if Jaire ends up accepting a paycut, the Packers might as well just keep him—a perception that has intensified since the draft, with Green Bay not taking a cornerback until the seventh round, when they selected Micah Robinson.

For Alexander, if he's to change teams, it makes more sense to wait for a release. In that case, he would have more freedom to choose his next destination and negotiate a new deal from the ground up.