“If (Jaire) Alexander can remain healthy.” The sentiment grew louder in Wisconsin over the years every time the Green Bay Packers would enter their next week and the decision of the then new GM Brian Gutekunst bringing the CB in as an 18th overall pick in 2018 soon turned sour for many with multiple injuries cutting seasons short for the impactful difference maker. But the connection of seven seasons, a loaded resume boasting two All-Pros and two Pro Bowls, and his presence was hard to ignore. Look at the comparison, per CBS Sports, yourself:

However, his injuries eclipsing his exceptional abilities, lending him to play only half of the team’s 68 regular season games from 2021 to 2024, with the last two seasons only seeing him for seven games each on the field, pushed the impending decision to a point that the Packers cut ties with the Philly born. But just then, his Louisville teammate and current Ravens QB Lamar Jackson told GM Eric DeCosta “Go! Get him to Baltimore!” And just days later, the Ravens HC John Harbaugh saw his backfield go from the weakest link last season to one of the strongest in the league, thinking “We had an excellent bunch of corners yesterday, and we added one more excellent corner today.” But as far as Gutekunst is concerned, he believes they’re better off without him.

GM Brian Gutekunst recently sat down with Corey Behnke and Aaron Nagler on the Cheesehead TV podcast to talk about Packers’ next season when Nagler asked him, “How are you a better team without Jaire Alexander? I understand the frustrations of his inability to stay on the field consistently. But I don’t think there’s any argument to make that you’re a better defense if he’s on field and now, he’s going to be on the field for the Ravens.”

“I think it comes down to that, whether he can stay on the field, right? That was always a thing over the past four years, really, for us was his ability to be out there, and what that kind of does. I think obviously bringing in Nate Hobbs and then Keisean (Nixon) stepping up like he did, and Carrington (Valentine) going to, I think that’s what allows us to be a better football team than we were last year. Just those guys having more experience, bringing in Nate (Hobbs) as well, because the reality is Jaire really wasn’t on the field for as much at all the past couple of years.

“So, it’s a shame. Jaire, I mean, he’s a such a good player for us and it’s just one of those things that we’d have loved to work out in some way but it’s just, I think, over the last four years with what we’re playing him and his ability to stay on the field was just something I think it was time for us to move on. It’s probably good for him as well to have a fresh start and I know there’s frustration in his part and our part just for his inability to be out there on a consistent basis. Hope that’ll change for him as he goes forward. But for us, I think it was important that we hopefully had a little more stability there.”

Jaire Alexander had been a cornerstone of the Packers’ secondary ever since his debut in the 2018 NFL season. However, in the last four years, the 28-year-old managed to play just one full season. Courtesy? His injury issues. Not to mention the paycheck when the cap hit exceeding $24M. While it would be hard to agree that the Pack would be the same as before, despite Alexander missing most of the games, Gutekunst has certainly found some pieces for HC Matt LaFleur.

Valentine’s rise wasn’t just a feel-good rookie story—it changed the room. More so, it made the Packers believe. Keisean Nixon played all 17 games, gave them outside reps, and stayed sturdy in the slot. So, the Packers didn’t scramble to replace Jaire for most parts. They just… shifted. Considering Jaire’s injuries over the past couple of seasons and the newly signed Nate Hobbs joining the Packers’ secondary, Green Bay’s decision to cut ties with a two-time Pro Bowl player just made sense for both parties.

But maybe, just maybe, this has increased the chances of an axe to fall on Brian too? Yes, no one’s ‘ok.’ Anybody can get it. The GM and the HC, Matt LaFleur, too.

The Packers won’t extend Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst’s contracts

Gutekunst and LaFleur have been serving the Packers’ organization for the past seven and six years, respectively. So the catch? Well, the last time we checked, both of them still have a couple of years left on their contract. And that means only one thing: the contract extension talks could already be on the table, right? Except, they’re not.

If the reports are accurate, the Packers are not in a rush to extend Gutekunst and LaFleur’s contracts just yet. At least, not before this season. On the flip side, Ed Policy, the new incoming team president, said that he is “generally opposed” to the HC and GM working as lame ducks. Translation? Well, Policy doesn’t want his GM and HC to work with only one year left on a contract, because it causes problems. “This creates a lot of issues,” Policy said, per The Athletic. That means Gutekunst and LaFleur’s fate in Green Bay depends on the 2025 season.

“I think normally, you have a pretty good idea of where that relationship is going when you have two years left. Not always, but normally. But it creates a lot of issues because they also have to hire a staff. Generally speaking, I would avoid lame-duck status. It’s oftentimes difficult on everybody involved. But there are certain situations that probably call for it. So I would not say never.”

Policy officially takes the reins as Packers president and CEO on July 25, stepping in as Mark Murphy hits the league’s age-70 retirement mandate. He’s already voiced strong confidence in the team’s top brass that includes LaFleur, Gutekunst, and Ball, calling them “exceptional” and praising both his professional and personal ties to each. But with Jaire Alexander gone and the team at a crossroads, 2025 feels less like a fresh start and more like a defining year—not just for the Packers’ retooling defense, but for the head coach and GM now firmly under Policy’s watch.