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Jaire Alexander’s status for Sunday’s game is in peril after missing his second straight day of practice.
The Green Bay Packers cornerback remained sidelined Thursday due to a shoulder injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur admitted that he’s worried about the Pro Bowler’s availability.
“I’d say so,” LaFleur said when asked if he’s concerned about Alexander, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “Two in a row not practicing.”
LaFleur said, “I don’t know” in response to feeling any long-term concern about Alexander’s health.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur on whether there’s concern over Jaire Alexander’s shoulder injury:
“I’d say so. Two in a row not practicing.”
When asked if there’s long-term concern beyond this game, LaFleur said: “I don’t know.” pic.twitter.com/RMI9U2buYp
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 9, 2023
Alexander has already missed three games this season and hasn’t made his usual impact while on the field. Per Pro Football Reference, he’s allowed 17 completions on 25 targets in coverage for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus assigns him a grade of 65.6, the lowest of his six-year career. Alexander was the eighth-highest rated cornerback at 80.3 last season.
Losing Alexander would still further deflate a Green Bay secondary that lost Eric Stokes to a hamstring injury and traded Rasul Douglas before the Oct. 31 deadline.
The Packers improved to ninth in passing defense when limiting Brett Rypien to 130 yards in a 20-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Their schedule won’t get significantly tougher from the defense’s standpoint, as Green Bay opposes a Pittsburgh Steelers squad ranked 29th in total offense this Sunday.
However, Green Bay will then encounter its most challenging stretch of the season when playing the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs. Things could get ugly for the 3-5 team if Alexander doesn’t play in those games.