Jaire Alexander had the kind of 2025 season he probably never expected. It began with a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, later included a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, and ultimately ended with the corner stepping away from football. Through all of that, he never actually got an opportunity to play for the Eagles.

Now that the 2025 season is in the rearview mirror, Alexander is back in the spotlight. Only this time it is because of a small but notable gesture toward the Eagles. Since he never played a game for Philadelphia after the trade, Alexander paid back $889K to the team, which also resulted in a salary cap credit for the Eagles.

A former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Alexander spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers. He found plenty of success there and established himself as a cornerstone of their secondary.

However, his final two seasons in Green Bay were heavily impacted by injuries.

That ultimately led the Packers to release Alexander ahead of the 2025 season. Once that happened, the Ravens signed him to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, including incentives. His time in Baltimore was brief, though. Alexander appeared in only two games, while being listed as a healthy inactive for five others.

Eventually, the Ravens traded Alexander, along with a 2027 seventh-round pick, to the Eagles in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

But just one week after the trade, the 29-year-old corner announced he was stepping away from football to focus on his physical and mental health while continuing his recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Because of that decision, the Eagles received $500K from the Ravens and another $389K from Alexander to cover a portion of his signing bonus and one week of salary. Philadelphia also received a salary cap credit, even though that amount had not originally counted against its cap when the trade was completed.

For now, Alexander technically has the option to unretire at any point. But as things stand, he appears content staying away from football.

Multiple injuries forced Jaire Alexander to take a break from football

Jaire Alexander built a reputation as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL during his prime years in Green Bay. Over his first five seasons with the Packers, the 29-year-old recorded 10 interceptions for 149 yards, along with 58 passes defended, two forced fumbles, 244 combined tackles, and 11 tackles for loss.

However, the last few seasons have been far more challenging for the corner because of recurring injuries. For some context, Alexander suffered a shoulder injury during the 2023 season and ended up missing six consecutive games from Week 10 through Week 15.

The issues carried over into the 2024 season as well. Alexander injured his quadriceps and missed two games in Weeks 4 and 5. He did return and started a few games afterward, but the setbacks continued.

By the end of the year, he had appeared in just seven games during the 2024 season, which ultimately played a role in the Packers deciding to move on from him.

Then came the 2025 season. After the Ravens traded him to the Eagles, the injury concerns did not go away. Within a few days of the trade, Philadelphia placed Alexander on the reserve retired list. Later, following a Week 10 win over the Packers, Alexander informed the Eagles that he would be stepping away from football.

“I know it’s been such a challenge for him because we were with him every day here,” then-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said of Alexander. “He was working hard to get back practicing. I haven’t talked to him, but I think the world of him and he’ll figure it out, for sure. He’s just a good person and a hard-working guy.”

The reasoning, according to the corner himself, was fairly straightforward. Jaire Alexander wanted to focus on both his mental and physical health. And while the possibility of an eventual return still exists, it will be interesting to see whether Alexander decides to make a comeback and attempt another run in the league.