Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander is now a free agent after being released by the Green Bay Packers.
And the San Francisco 49ers shouldn't be interested in bringing him aboard.
Sure, the Niners could look to add a veteran presence in the secondary after losing starting cornerback Charvarius Ward in free agency to the Indianapolis Colts. After all, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is putting a lot of faith in rookie defensive back Upton Stout to start right away at nickel, thereby pushing Deommodore Lenoir out to the boundary full time alongside second-year pro Renardo Green.
But, San Francisco didn't invest a third-round pick in Stout for developmental purposes. The plan is for Stout to start right away.
Yet there's another key reason why targeting Alexander doesn't make sense, and it's one the 49ers understand far too well.
Jaire Alexander's injury history should convince 49ers to say 'no'
When healthy, Alexander is one of the NFL's premiere cornerbacks.
"When healthy" is key, though.
The 28 year old appeared in just seven games in each of the last two seasons, and he saw only four back in 2021. In fact, the repeated brushes with injury led to Packers team president Mark Murphy taking a not-so-subtle parting shot at Alexander by saying Green Bay has "been used to" playing without the Pro Bowler lately.
Ouch.
Bringing things back to the Bay Area, sure, there'd be an argument for onboarding a veteran cornerback, and CBS Sports' Jared Dubin highlighted the Niners as a potential fit, citing an abundance of cap space as a primary reason in addition to the roster need.
However, in light of San Francisco suffering so many key injuries in 2024 that influenced a drastic attempt to get younger, cheaper and healthier, the overall picture of an injury-prone Alexander simply doesn't make sense from the 49ers' vantage point. They'd rather take their chances with a younger secondary than by adding an oft-injured veteran who won't likely come cheap.
They'll pass this time.
