Packers CB Alexander undergoes knee surgery
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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers aren’t expecting to have cornerback Jaire Alexander for the rest of the season, coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday.
That ended more than a two-month saga in which the former All-Pro has attempted to come back from what he said was a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He sustained the injury Oct. 27 against the Jacksonville Jaguars but was not placed on injured reserve because the team thought it was a short-term injury.
LaFleur said Alexander underwent surgery and was “most likely” done for the season. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the only hope for Alexander to return would be if the Packers made the Super Bowl. A source said the surgery that Alexander underwent Tuesday was arthroscopic in nature and thus not a major reconstructive procedure.
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“It’s unfortunate,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “It is what it is. I feel for him. Obviously, he was trying to get his knee right, it wasn’t getting right, and so, yeah, it’s a tough deal for all of us.”
Alexander missed the game immediately after the injury but returned following the Packers’ bye week to play briefly Nov. 17 against the Chicago Bears. However, he played only 10 snaps in that game before he dropped out. He hasn’t played since, although he had been practicing for several weeks — sometimes even as a full participant — only to be ruled out each week.
When asked Monday whether there was a difference of opinion between how Alexander views his injury compared with how the team and its doctors view it, LaFleur said: “I can’t really get into all that. I do know that he’s been dealing with swelling, and, you know, he doesn’t feel right to go out there and play.”
Alexander, an All-Pro in 2020 and 2022, has played in only 14 regular-season games over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2021 season, when he appeared in only four regular-season games because of a shoulder injury, he has played in just 34 of a possible 68 regular-season games, including Sunday’s finale against the Bears. One of those missed games was to serve a suspension last season for conduct detrimental to the team.
In seven games this season, Alexander has two interceptions, including a pick-six in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans.
The Packers are expected to continue with the trio of Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes as their top three cornerbacks. Valentine has had an interception in two of the past three games.
“I’ve been here with Ja, so I’ve seen Ja my rookie year out with a shoulder Week 4 vs. the Steelers,” Stokes said. “And then after that, it’s just little knickknacks. I know how badly he wants to be out there. The moment I found out, I was just like, ‘Dang.’ I sent him a text. ‘I know how you feel. I know what type of player you is. I know you really want to be out there for us’ and all that stuff. He said, ‘Anything y’all need help with, just hit me. I’m going to be there.’ Still having him there is tremendous.”
It’s possible Alexander, a first-round pick in 2018, could have played his last football for the Packers. He still has two years left on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed in 2022, but with no guaranteed money on the deal, the Packers might decide to let him go. If he’s on the team, he is scheduled to make $17.5 million next season and $19.5 million in 2026.
While LaFleur said he intends to treat Sunday’s game against the Bears like any other even though the Packers (11-5) have already clinched a playoff spot and all that’s left to determine is whether they will be the NFC’s No. 6 or No. 7 seed, he said Wednesday that he will “be mindful of every situation and guys that are dealing with stuff.”
Those who did not practice Wednesday included these starters or key contributors: safety Zayne Anderson (concussion), defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. (foot), receiver Christian Watson (knee), linebacker Quay Walker (ankle) and safety Evan Williams (quadriceps).
