Packers ‘Could Cut’ Star Player to Save Over $17 Million After June 1st

The Green Bay Packers and CB Jaire Alexander haven’t been able to get on the same page for the last few months, which has led to numerous reports detailing that the Packers could cut or trade the star CB ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

If the Packers aren’t able to restructure his contract or find a trade partner in the next few weeks, what would the financial savings look like if Green Bay parts ways with Alexander after June 1st?

Packers ‘Could Cut’ CB Jaire Alexander to Save Over $17 Million on the Salary Cap

When Jaire Alexander is on the football field, he is impact player at the cornerback position. Yet, the best ability is availability — particularly for a player who is being paid at a market-value contract.

Alexander’s injury issues and pricey salary are two of the reasons why PlayerProfiler NFL Analyst Dan Fornek had the star CB top his list of NFL Cut Candidates entering the 2025 NFL season.

Fornek wrote, “The Packers could cut Alexander after June 1 and free up over $17 million with $7.5 million in dead money. Getting anything in return as trade compensation would be preferable, but it seems unlikely that another team would willingly take on his considerable injury risk for more than a seventh-round pick.”

There have been numerous trade rumors surrounding Alexander this offseason, but the fact nothing has materialized before or during the NFL Draft suggests the market for this talented corner isn’t super high at the moment.

Fornek commented about the Packers’ attempts to deal him during the NFL by writing, “The Packers tried to trade Jaire Alexander away during the draft, but they couldn’t find a return that seemed fitting. There was an initial thought that the team might be committed to keeping him on the roster after Green Bay failed to add a notable defensive back during the draft, but Green Bay doubled down on wanting to move him despite the lack of an obvious replacement.”

The Packers spent their first three picks in the 2025 NFL Draft addressing the offensive side of the football, which does make this situation a bit more interesting given the organization did not add an insurance policy at cornerback if they can’t get something worked out with Alexander.

Fornek did mention the possibility of both sides reconciling to get a deal done, “There is still a chance that the team can re-work Alexander’s deal ahead of the season, but that would require both sides to come to an agreement. The Packers don’t believe that Alexander is worth his price tag given how often he is injured (fewer than eight games played in three of the last four seasons). However, it’s hard to see Alexander being willing to take a pay cut from his $16.1 million base salary given those same injury issues.”

What Would the Packers CB Room Look Like Without Jaire Alexander?

If Packers do part ways with Alexander ahead of the 2025 NFL season, then the cornerback depth could be a big concern for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.

The team signed Nate Hobbs this offseason, but he is a rock-solid nickelback with a slightly different skillset than Alexander. Keisean Nixon had a career year in 2024, but also spent a lot of time playing in the nickel position.

The departure of Alexander would likely push Carrington Valentine or Kalen King into a larger role, which would certainly feel like a downgrade from a cornerback of Jaire’s caliber.

There is still time for both sides to get this worked out, but Alexander’s situation is certainly worth monitoring closely as we enter the month of June.