The Green Bay Packers made a squeak in the NFL world with a report that dropped Tuesday on a minor development with their situation regarding Jaire Alexander. Alexander has been absent from voluntary minicamp practices this month as the team decides whether to cut or trade him.
Or maybe even restructure him.
The Green Bay Packers offered a restructured deal
Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers proposed a restructured contract to the All-Pro but oft-injured cornerback, appearing to show a good-faith offer to keep Alexander in Green Bay for 2025.
The report was not clear as to whether the restructure includes a pay cut or just moves the money around for accounting purposes, as many teams who need to clear cap space do before free agency begins.
The Packers don’t need to clear cap space. As Scheidman notes, Green Bay has $28.9 million in cap space, the 10th most in the league. (Though the Packers have yet to sign their second-round pick, Anthony Belton.)
Per Schneidman, Alexander’s agent hasn’t blinked after the Packers offered his client the restructure and the star cornerback plans to attend mandatory minicamp in June.
“Alexander and his agent, John Thornton of Roc Nation, have not agreed to a restructuring yet,” Schneidman wrote. “Alexander, 28, wants to remain in Green Bay and has two years remaining on a then-record contract extension he signed in 2022 for $21 million annually…
“He has not yet reported to Lambeau Field for in-person voluntary offseason work as his future with the team remains uncertain, but he plans to attend mandatory minicamp on June 10, if not before, even if his contract situation isn’t resolved, according to a source.”
Jaire Alexander’s agent doesn’t have to do anything at all
Alexander and Thornton don’t have to do anything at all here, unless the star cornerback is desperate to stay in Green Bay, fearing that what he would get in free agency is less than what the Packers offered in the restructure.
Based on the tenor of Schneidman’s report, Thornton didn’t exactly bolt to the prospect of signing the restructure before the story was leaked…
It also isn’t surprising that Alexander would want to return for mandatory minicamp instead of incurring fines for not showing up to practice. After all, he’d still be acting upon his current contract.
The issue is entirely on a desperate Green Bay front office that wants to save money. If the Packers cut Alexander after June 1, the team would save $17.1 million, and Alexander could join a team of his choosing in free agency.
So read into the report for what you will. But it doesn’t mean much until something substantial comes from Alexander’s camp.
Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
