On June 9, the Green Bay Packers surprised the NFL world when they announced the release of star cornerback, Jaire Alexander. Alexander, a member of the team since 2018, was a key figure for the Packers’ defense for seven seasons and even evolved into one of the NFL’s best defensive backs. But a high salary combined with injury issues he dealt with in recent campaigns caused the Packers to move in a new direction and give him a fresh start.
Now that Alexander is a free agent, there are multiple teams that are in the mix to land his services. One of those teams mentioned is the San Francisco 49ers, who according to CBS Sports, have one of the highest odds to sign Alexander. But based on the offseason that the 49ers had, it appears that the franchise will not pursue the two-time Pro Bowler and instead roll with what they have.
Alexander’s Odds to Land in San Francisco
After the news of Alexander’s release broke on the morning of June 9, CBS Sports writer, Jared Dubin, listed the 49ers as one of the teams with the highest odds to sign him, along with the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, among a few others. And while Alexander would instantly provide a top tier veteran to replace the loss of Charvarius Ward, the signings of Tre Brown and the selection of Upton Stout make it likely that the 49ers will instead go with their new additions instead of bringing in an injury prone player like Alexander.
“The Niners lost Charvarius Ward in free agency this offseason, and currently seem likely to start either journeyman Tre Brown or third-round pick Upton Stout opposite Deommodore Lenoir at one of their corner spots,” Dubin wrote. “Bringing in another veteran — even one with injury issues — is an idea that has some merit, especially considering how much cap room the 49ers have on their hands. According to Over the Cap, only the Patriots have more cap space than the Niners’ current $46.6 million in room.”
But as Dubin mentioned, the 49ers have a lot of cap space to work with after losing a lot of key players and with Alexander being a proven veteran who has shown that he can be very valuable, the 49ers could look into bringing in a guy like him to help bolster their defensive back core.
Alexander’s Injury Woes
Even though Alexander is a star and was a big part of the Packers’ defense for so many years, injuries have been a big part of his career– something that could keep teams away. Over the last two seasons combined, Alexander has only played in 14 games total and since 2021, he has only played a full 16 game season once. However, when Alexander is healthy and available to play, Dubin notes that talent wise, he is one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks.
“When healthy, he has been one of the best cornerbacks in football, but has increasingly been unable to remain on the field in recent years,” Dubin wrote. “Since 2021, Alexander has played in just 34 of 68 possible games. He’s played more than seven games in a season just once during that span, though he did make the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro second team during that 2022 campaign.”
Proving he can stay healthy will be priority No. 1 for Alexander, but only 28 years old, there are definitely teams that could use him and even if he isn’t healthy for the entire season, his talent should still warrant an opportunity.
