Will Jaire Alexander Ever Face the Vikings Again?
It seems unlikely that the Green Bay Packers will have the services of their top cornerback on Sunday. Jaire Alexander missed the first contest of the year against the Minnesota Vikings, and for as much as he talks, he sure likes to duck Justin Jefferson. Will he ever face him in green and yellow again?
Will Jaire Alexander Ever Face the Vikings Again?
By the time they line up on Sunday, it will have been 427 days since Jaire Alexander last suited up against the Minnesota Vikings. He has been out for weeks this season. Despite practicing the last few days, he still isn’t good enough to take his position back on the field.
It’s understandable to avoid Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. They are arguably the best tandem in the NFL, and trying to hold them down is not enviable. Alexander has previously accomplished that feat but has also struggled to substantiate his dominance.
The Packers probably aren’t as sick of Alexander as the rest of the league is, but they have to be annoyed about a guy never being on the field. Alexander is on a four-year deal, but Green Bay can get out of the deal with just under $20 million in dead cap next season. There shouldn’t be much desire to pay a guy $25 million in either of the next two years with no guarantee he’s even available.
If and when Green Bay cuts Alexander, he’ll be free to sign with a new team. He could stay within the division, but the likelihood that he continues to play Minnesota multiple times per season seems far-fetched. He can continue to talk about facing Jefferson and shutting him down while never actually having him on the schedule.
Minnesota is in for a big matchup against Green Bay this weekend, and they look like they’ll be a substantially more healthy team. The Vikings returned both Harrison Smith and Ivan Pace Jr. to practice on Thursday. Rookie Jalen Redmond joined them as well.
Suppose the Vikings can best Green Bay and the Alexander-less Packers. In that case, they’ll set up arguably the most important regular season matchup in franchise history as they go for the top seed in the NFC against the Detroit Lions.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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