This offseason, a 2x Pro Bowler faces free agency after spending seven years with his franchise. As the Green Bay Packers decided to cut ties with their veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, it didn’t come as quite a shock to anyone. The signs have been evident since last season, with the front office vocal about their concerns regarding his injuries and performance. But as Alexander faces free agency, someone has suggested a new destination for him. 

While there were talks of a contract restructure, Jaire Alexander was also on the lookout for a trade destination. But a deal didn’t come through, and before a trade could be finalised, Alexander drew the short straw. Well, for starters, he only played 14 games for the Packers in the last two seasons. And that’s only the beginning. Over the last four years, Alexander has only participated in half of the Packers’ games. The front office had to address it at some point.

But as the hammer has finally fallen, it is certainly not the end for Jaire Alexander. He has another chance to show his skills, and the Minnesota Vikings might just be the right fit.

As per a post on X by Tyler Forness, the Vikings deal seems like a perfect fit. As Forness wrote, “Jaire Alexander will be a Minnesota Viking by the end of the week. It makes too much sense.” The reasoning? As Forness further added his reasoning, the matter became a little clearer. As Forness added, “Think about it. -If Jaire is washed, the Vikings love signing the most washed CB -If he’s got something left, the medical staff will keep him healthy.” There is also the added opportunity of going up against his former teammates. “Plus, Jaire is likely to want to play his former team twice a year on a team that needs CB help. Welcome to Minnesota,” Forness further wrote. Being cut in the middle of trade talks, Alexander might certainly want to tackle some of his old teammates to show the front office they made a mistake.

As for the Vikings, if Alexander manages to stay healthy, he would certainly make a great impact on the team. Injuries aside, over his 7-year career, he has amassed 240 tackles, 12 interceptions, and also defended 70 passes. There’s also the added intrigue of adding a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro to their team that might make his case.

But, as Jaire Alexander looks for a new team to play with, Packers QB Jordan Love is also facing the new season without his trusted cornerback. And this comes in the wake of Love fighting to keep Alexander with the Packers. But frequent injuries, as well as the prospect of a bigger cap space, cannot keep a player on a team, even if the QB wanted that.

Jordan Love’s defense, and the $17.5 million carrot

Jordan Love had been quite vocal in the efforts to retain Jaire Alexander with the Packers. Back in April, when asked about the Cornerback, Love had made his feelings on the matter quite clear. As Love put it, “He’s definitely a player we need back… He’s a guy we need around – Locker room, he’s a character. That’s a guy you never know what you’re going to get. With Ja, he’s always the guy that interacts with everybody on the team. He jokes around but he also has that serious side to him as a competitor.” But the Packers front office didn’t see it the same way. And cutting Alexander, they’ve also freed up a significant amount of cap.

As GM Brian Gutekunst had already hinted at the team’s displeasure with Jaire Alexander missing games. “We invested a lot in Jaire and want to make sure, if he’s not going to be on our football team helping us win games, that we get something back for that investment… So we’ll see where it goes, but again, working with him weekly and trying to figure out what’s best for both Jaire and the Packers.” But the investment did not work, and even this season, the Packers were all set to pay Jaire Alexander $17.5 million. Next year, that amount would have been $19.5 million. But there were no set guarantees left on his contract. And now, with Alexander gone, that is money freed up which the Packers can put to use elsewhere.

As Jaire Alexander walks into free agency, the Packers face a decision. Who will take the cornerback’s place? While they figure that out, Alexander will now look forward to offers for a franchise where he can make a Pro Bowl impact again. Will it be the Vikings, or somewhere else?