Ravens Veteran Expected to Make Comeback Award Bid

The Baltimore Ravens pulled out all the stops in attempting to build on their dreams of returning to the NFL mountaintop this summer. They disappointed in a premature playoff exit to cap off last season's Super Bowl bid, but have used about every option at their disposal in improving the roster.

They added a little balance to their defense with several draft picks that got the Baltimore front office showered in league-wide approval and made some progress in locking their skill position stars in for a few more years, though there's still work to be done on that front. When they'd ran through the most profitable avenues to add talent, only then did the Ravens turn to the hit-or-miss buyout market.

There weren't many recently-cut players who had anything to offer outside of their names, but Baltimore did find someone who looks to help them fill a soft spot. They won a bidding war for former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, adding a cornerback who can soak up some valuable possessions while reuniting Lamar Jackson with an old friend from their college days at Louisville.

He'll look to start opposite of star cornerback Marlon Humphrey, another multiple-time Pro Bowler who's coming off of his second First Team All-Pro appearance. While Alexander's accumulated some impressive accomplishments of his own, he has to prove that he can return to the best version of himself after several years as an NFL afterthought.

Should Alexander pull off the return to glory, he'll be a popular name in this season's Comeback Player of the Year race. As Frank Platko of SB Nation's Baltimore Beatdown writes, "CPOY is traditionally given to a player who has a good season after returning from an extended injury or negative circumstances the year prior. Alexander, who had both his 2023 and 2024 seasons cut short by injury and missed a combined 20 games, fits the bill of the former."

The odds of someone at his position taking home top comeback honors aren't great, as only four defensive players have ever succeeded at such a feat, but he'll still be swarmed with acclaim if a return to form is in order.

He was one of the best at his position during his Green Day heyday, and fills a necessary role in a cornerback platoon that could greatly benefit from an experienced presence. Alexander entered Baltimore as a low-risk, high-reward signing, but has a real chance to influence the Ravens' chances at getting over the hump, and maybe win some recognition from award voters for his trouble.