Jaire Alexander has missed an extended stretch for the Packers this season, but the sixth-year cornerback is now healthy. He will not be available for Green Bay’s Week 17 game, however, due to a team-imposed suspension.
The Packers suspended Alexander for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, GM Brian Gutekunst said Wednesday. This is believed to be for Alexander’s strange coin-toss moment in Carolina, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Not a captain, Alexander crashed the Packers’ coin toss and forgot to use the word “defer.” Had the referee not assisted the Packers, they could have been forced to kick off in both halves against the Panthers.
Week 16 marked Alexander’s first game back from a shoulder injury. The highly paid cornerback had not played since Week 8. While Alexander obviously resides as an important piece for the Packers — on a defense that has struggled under third-year DC Joe Barry — the team will attempt to set an example with this one-game ban.
“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” Gutekunst said. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together.”
A Charlotte native, Alexander called the toss despite not being designated to be part of that process with the captains. This strange sequence came in a game the Packers barely won against a two-win opponent. Alexander, 26, has missed nine games this season. While it is not quite the lost year his 2021 became due to injury, it is pretty close. The Packers have Alexander on a four-year, $84MM extension that runs through 2026. That $21MM AAV remains the most among corners.