Jaire Alexander to Vikings Is Not a Hot Take
More often than not, when any semi-notable NFL player hits the free agency open market, a faction of Minnesota Vikings fans urges the team to sign that man.
There’s more than meets the eye about Jaire Alexander as a Vikings’ free-agent target.
It’s the nature of the beast with so many forms of social media.
So when the Green Bay Packers cut cornerback Jaire Alexander loose this week, of course purple fans screamed that he should sign in the Twin Cities. Yet, aside from the rah-rah of “Sign Jaire!” there’s actually a heavy case of logic that accompanies the theory.
One Name: Mike Pettine
Minnesota employs an assistant head coach named Mike Pettine.
Pettine came from the Green Bay Packers, spending three seasons as the cheesy team’s defensive coordinator. The timing? Pettine defensively coordinated the Packers from 2018 to 2020 — also known as Alexander’s first three seasons.
While Alexander isn’t shy about sharing his feelings — and resentments — there’s no evidence to support any ill feelings toward Pettine.
The Vikings have a built-in advantage for the Alexander sweepstakes because the very guy who reared him out of the gate now works in the Twin Cities.
Player-coach ties matter.
The Packer Turncoat Track Record
You could create a scrapbook with all the Packers personnel who’ve crossed state lines to play for the Vikings. Notables like Brett Favre, Aaron Jones, Greg Jennings, Ryan Longwell, and Za’Darius Smith are at the forefront of folks’ memory banks, but countless others have turned purple.
Even Aaron Rodgers campaigned to join Minnesota’s roster this offseason.
There’s something about the psychology of departing Green Bay that makes oodles of players want to try on Minnesota for size.
And the street rarely bends both ways. It’s typically Green Bay to Minnesota — not the other way around.
The Aaron Jones Angle
Not satisfied? Let us introduce you to our finest Aaron Jones.
Jones signed in Minnesota last offseason and promptly delivered a rushing offense fix that was desperately sought after by head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Jones and Alexander shared a locker room for six seasons; you better believe they know each other — two Pro Bowl buddies with shared history.
If the Vikings wish to recruit Alexander — they should — Jones should text Alexander to kick off the dialogue. This isn’t supernatural stuff.
The CB Need Angle
Almost as a footnote, Minnesota could use some additional roster love at cornerback. Free-agent Isaiah Rodgers could morph into the next big thing, but what if he doesn’t? Defensive coordinator Brian Flores would have to hope that Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, or Dwight McGlothern had the juice for a starter’s responsibility.
Signing Alexander would relieve that anxiety. Usually, when a new free agent hits the wire, fans call for his signing due to sheer roster need. That’s roughly the fourth piece of evidence on this list.
“Everybody Wants to Play for the Vikings”
Annually, the NFLPA publishes “team report cards,” grades doled out by players, illustrating the best franchises per player treatment, team facilities, nutrition, etc.
The Vikings routinely rank in the Top 2 or Top 3 — and that means something. New defensive tackle Jonathan Allen arrived in Eagan recently and said he felt “cheated” by what he encountered in Washington before signing with the Vikings. Minnesota’s culture and facilities are that different — and better.
Interior offensive linemen, Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, echoed somewhat similar sentiments this offseason.
The aforementioned Jones never misses a chance to pound the table for O’Connell’s culture. It’s no exaggeration to say that players seek the Vikings as a first-class organization. Gone are the days of Mike Zimmer’s prickliness. O’Connell’s eternal optimism is influential.
Janik Eckardt’s Take
Our own Janik Eckardt broke down the prospect of Alexander coming to Minnesota this week.
He opined, “Much speculation has been happening across the state border. Wisconsin’s football team is about to end those by releasing star cornerback Jaire Alexander, various reports confirmed Monday morning. Well, the Vikings could use another defensive back. While Murphy Jr. was re-signed, Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin were not.”
“Instead, the Vikings are relying on Mekhi Blackmon to return from his torn ACL and Philadelphia’s Isaiah Rodgers to make the step into a full-time role. Those are kind of risky, because neither is a proven option, and we’ve seen in the last half decade how vital decent CB play is for a defense. Having a good defense without a reliable coverage unit is nearly impossible.”
If structured wisely, the Vikings should have the funds for Alexander, as well.
Eckardt added, “The roster concerns are down to an inexperienced QB and a CB group with only one certified starter. Acquiring Alexander could catapult the Vikings into a real contender tier. Alexander was about to enter the third season of his massive four-year, $84 million contract. Green Bay takes on a total of about $17 million in dead cap in 2025 and 2026, and the fact that he didn’t take the pay cut indicates that he still expects to have a market.”
“That means the Vikes won’t just be able to sign him for cheap. According to Over The Cap, the Vikings have about $18.4 million in cap space, and the way they have been structuring their contracts, they can borrow from the future as well (although that might be a bad idea considering they have already abused that system this offseason). Regardless, if they wanted to, they could fit even an expensive Alexander deal under their cap.”
Alexander to the Vikings isn’t a hot take. It has all the facets and trimmings.
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