It turns out that the Green Bay Packers’ decision to suspend All-Pro Jaire Alexander for one game due to his behavior had “nothing to do” with him almost completely messing up the coin flip before last week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Alexander was suspended by the Packers for one game on December 27 for behavior that was considered harmful to the club. Many people assumed this was a result of Alexander’s actions during the warmup versus the Panthers. He had crowned himself captain, but after the Packers won the coin toss, he mispronounced a word, nearly denying them the chance to receive to begin the second half if the referee had not made it clear what he meant.
Following the game, head coach Matt LaFleur of the Packers referred to Alexander’s conduct as “a big mistake.” However, he later clarified that the suspension had “nothing to do with the whole incident” and implied that it was the result of multiple problems coming together.
“Let me just clarify: It’s never for a single reason,” LaFleur stated on Wednesday. However, as I previously stated, I believe there are many lessons to be learned for all parties involved, and ideally we do. I believe that going forward, there will be improved communication. As previously mentioned, I believe Ja will be around for a very long time. He’s a fantastic player who is simply trying to move on, learn from it, and make improvements for all of us.
The Packers’ crucial Week 17 game against Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings will now take place without Alexander.
Mixing messages over Jaire Alexander’s suspension, Packers
Regarding Alexander’s suspension, the Packers are now making two contradictory statements. LaFleur claims the Week 16 coin-flip incident had “nothing to do” with the team’s one-game suspension of him, but general manager Brian Gutekunst hinted that Alexander’s actions were at least somewhat responsible for the decision.
On December 27, Gutekunst wrote, “Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step.” “Everyone in our organization is expected to prioritize the team. Despite our disappointment, Jaire and I had a productive talk on Wednesday morning, and we anticipate that he will take this as a lesson as we go forward together. He is and will always be a valued member of this team, and we are excited to have him back next week.
Whichever way you look at it, it adds to Alexander’s mystery season. His shoulder ailment had kept him out of action for six straight games before he made a comeback against the Panthers in Week 17. But in all, he missed just four practices over that period, and in three of the six games he missed, his injury report listed him as “questionable.”
Despite this, LaFleur maintains that Alexander’s injury problems and recent availability issues had “nothing to do” with their decision to suspend him, much like the controversy surrounding the coin flip.
LaFleur stated, “It’s been a frustrating year for him, obviously.” And by no means does that have anything to do with him not being able to play; I want to be absolutely clear about that. It has nothing to do with that because it has been well recorded and he has been persevering. Just that there could be repercussions for any action taken.
Jaire Alexander’s suspension in the “best interest” of the team
Jaire Alexander’s suspension may be interpreted by the pessimists as an indication that the Packers are unsure about his long-term future with the team. He committed to Green Bay through the 2026 season when he signed a four-year, $84 million extension in 2022, but things may move quickly if a player starts to cause issues or doesn’t perform up to the expectations of his contract.
Despite his return, Alexander is still a valuable player that LaFleur and Gutekunst believe will be a part of their team in the future.
“We’re at that unfortunate juncture,” LaFleur remarked. We believed that it would benefit Jaire and our staff in the long run. We don’t take our current situation lightly, and it was undoubtedly a difficult decision, but there are standards to which we are all held. Sadly, there are instances when you must take severe action if they are not met.
On the other hand, I will state that we anticipate and eagerly await his return. We talked for a very long time this morning. It seemed really fruitful to me. And even though it hurts now, I believe that in the long run, this will benefit us all in the long run.
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