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Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander recently penned a letter for The Players' Tribune titled “The Full Story Behind Why I Stepped Away from the NFL.” In the letter, Alexander described how difficult it was to be released by the only team he thought he’d ever play for.
“I’d always thought of myself as a Packer for life, had always wanted to end my career in Green Bay,” Alexander wrote. “And yeah, I understand that the NFL is a business. I get that. But at the same time, just being honest here … it wasn’t easy for me coming to grips with that possibility. With the idea of potentially not being a Packer anymore.”
According to Alexander, the Packers approached him about taking a pay cut at the beginning of the 2025 offseason. When neither side could come to an agreement, Green Bay released Alexander. The move made sense from an organizational standpoint, as Alexander was scheduled to earn a base salary of $16.15 million that year after appearing in only 14 total regular-season games over the past two seasons due to a litany of injuries.
The situation ended up being very difficult to deal with.
“After I got cut, I tried to pretend like it was no big thing, but I never really fully dealt with all the emotions I was feeling, you know what I mean? What I’ve realized since, in working with my therapist, is that me leaving Green Bay … it was almost like a marriage coming to an end,” Alexander explained. “And for someone who had devoted so much of his life to this game, that’s not gonna be something that happens and then you just move on like whatever. It lingers. And sticks with you. Or at least it did with me. And I can tell you point blank that I absolutely blamed myself in the moments when I’d think about that divorce.”
Less than two weeks after being let go by the Packers, Alexander signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Throughout training camp, Alexander was still dealing with the lingering effects of a PCL injury and surgery the previous year. Despite not being at 100 percent, he pushed himself to play in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. That decision backfired as Alexander had one of the worst games of his career, saying, “That was the most embarrassed I’ve ever felt in the game of football.”
After playing in just two games with the Ravens, Alexander was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Still feeling like he had something left to prove, he hoped to make his Eagles debut in Week 10 against the Packers. However, knowing the temperature at kickoff would be sub-10 degrees in Green Bay, Alexander began to have serious doubts about whether his knee would hold up.
On gameday, he arrived at the facility and told everyone he was done with football.
“Deciding to step away from the game was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do,” wrote Alexander. “But I absolutely did have to do it.”
A two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler during his seven seasons with the Packers, Alexander will be remembered for his elite play that will one day lead to his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Former Packers CB Jaire Alexander describes difficult release from Green Bay
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“I’d always thought of myself as a Packer for life, had always wanted to end my career in Green Bay,” Alexander wrote. “And yeah, I understand that the NFL is a business. I get that. But at the same time, just being honest here … it wasn’t easy for me coming to grips with that possibility. With the idea of potentially not being a Packer anymore.”
According to Alexander, the Packers approached him about taking a pay cut at the beginning of the 2025 offseason. When neither side could come to an agreement, Green Bay released Alexander. The move made sense from an organizational standpoint, as Alexander was scheduled to earn a base salary of $16.15 million that year after appearing in only 14 total regular-season games over the past two seasons due to a litany of injuries.
The situation ended up being very difficult to deal with.
“After I got cut, I tried to pretend like it was no big thing, but I never really fully dealt with all the emotions I was feeling, you know what I mean? What I’ve realized since, in working with my therapist, is that me leaving Green Bay … it was almost like a marriage coming to an end,” Alexander explained. “And for someone who had devoted so much of his life to this game, that’s not gonna be something that happens and then you just move on like whatever. It lingers. And sticks with you. Or at least it did with me. And I can tell you point blank that I absolutely blamed myself in the moments when I’d think about that divorce.”
Less than two weeks after being let go by the Packers, Alexander signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Throughout training camp, Alexander was still dealing with the lingering effects of a PCL injury and surgery the previous year. Despite not being at 100 percent, he pushed himself to play in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. That decision backfired as Alexander had one of the worst games of his career, saying, “That was the most embarrassed I’ve ever felt in the game of football.”
After playing in just two games with the Ravens, Alexander was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Still feeling like he had something left to prove, he hoped to make his Eagles debut in Week 10 against the Packers. However, knowing the temperature at kickoff would be sub-10 degrees in Green Bay, Alexander began to have serious doubts about whether his knee would hold up.
On gameday, he arrived at the facility and told everyone he was done with football.
“Deciding to step away from the game was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do,” wrote Alexander. “But I absolutely did have to do it.”
A two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler during his seven seasons with the Packers, Alexander will be remembered for his elite play that will one day lead to his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Former Packers CB Jaire Alexander describes difficult release from Green Bay
Continue reading...
