The Philadelphia Eagles‘ high-reward gamble on a star cornerback just backfired in stunning fashion. After beating the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the Iggles turned around and reshuffled their secondary.

On Wednesday, they officially placed cornerback Jaire Alexander on the reserve/retired list. The team announced on X: “We have activated CB Jakorian Bennett from reserve and placed CB Jaire Alexander on the Reserve/Retired List.”

This comes barely a week after trading for him from Baltimore in a late-deadline move. They gave up a 2026 sixth-rounder for the All-Pro talent and got a 2027 seventh back. General Manager Howie Roseman added the CB to boost a leaky secondary as part of a late-season reshuffle.

At that time, Roseman had defended the move.

“I think when you talk about [Jaire Alexander] still [being] a young guy, knowing where his health is at now, feeling healthy, feeling good, we felt like the risk was worth the reward with him,” Roseman said.

But the reward never came. In his place, the Eagles turned back to cornerback Jakorian Bennett. The 2023 fourth-round pick has looked sharper than expected in limited action this year. Bennett, who logged six tackles through three games with Philadelphia before landing on injured reserve, now gets another shot.

For a 7-2 team heading into a duel with the Detroit Lions, the timing couldn’t be more crucial. The secondary hasn’t found stability since midseason injuries hit, and Bennett’s return might be the final tweak before the stretch run.

But now Alexander’s out, just like that. The team said he wants time to deal with that nagging offseason knee injury. Tough break for Philly, which wanted a quick fix for its shaky defense. 

Jaire Alexander steps away from the NFL

The 28-year-old cornerback informed the Eagles on Tuesday that he’s stepping away from the game to focus on getting right physically and mentally. Still recovering from offseason knee surgery, Alexander decided it was time to pause, for however long that means in NFL terms.

From the outside, it seemed sudden. The team had kept him in Philadelphia during the Green Bay trip, calling it part of a larger plan for his rehab and defensive system fit. Now, those plans are done. 

Alexander’s decision comes eight years after he entered the league as the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. With 80 games played and 292 combined tackles, he built a reputation as one of the league’s top press corners. But the past two seasons have been rough. His struggles were evident, as he played only two games with Baltimore, recording five tackles total while battling his knee injury

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Last week, Alexander told reporters, “I’m just gonna bring leadership, I’m gonna bring some energy and bring some swag, you know? Confidence, and hopefully we all can feed off one another, feed off that.” 

A week later, he’s done, at least for now. He’s scrubbing his social media, walking away quietly. And in a sport that feeds on headlines and next-man-up slogans, that’s as loud a statement as any player can make.