Jaire Alexander, the Green Bay Packers’ standout cornerback, has some good news about his injuries. The two-time All-Pro is two years into a four-year, $84 million deal extension, which was restructured in 2023. Despite the restructuring, the Packers have received little output from Alexander throughout this extension owing to health difficulties. The 28-year-old has only played 14 games over the last two years and could be traded this offseason.
However, Alexander’s ailments have provided Green Bay extra cap space over the last two seasons. According to Packers salary cap specialist Ken Ingals, the team has an insurance cap advantage of $1,074,702 owing to the cornerback’s absence.
Green Bay presently ranks eleventh in salary cap space during this critical offseason. During the Jordan Love era, head coach Matt LaFleur guided this team to two consecutive postseason berths. However, the franchise finished third in the NFC North this season and was eliminated in the Wild Card stage of the playoffs—one round earlier than the previous year’s team.
LaFleur has done an excellent job in his six years in command. However, he has yet to play in the Super Bowl and is still waiting to make the transition from good to great. Green Bay still possesses one of the league’s youngest rosters, with eight overall picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Aside from a few upgrades on the offensive line and secondary, the Packers have been pretty quiet during free agency. This team could still use another wideout as well as a pass rusher. In addition, if Alexander is traded, another cornerback is definitely needed on this roster.
Overall, the next few months will determine Green Bay’s next couple of years. The Detroit Lions will be the favorite in the NFC North heading into next season. At the same time, the Chicago Bears are finally on the rise again, while the Minnesota Vikings remain dangerous.
Despite a disappointing playoff performance, this was the strongest division in the NFL, and it won’t get any easier from here on. However, Green Bay is gradually reestablishing itself as a contender. The question is whether next season will be the year Matt LaFleur and this franchise make that next step.
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