Packers Star Xavier McKinney Sends Message on Jaire Alexander

Xavier McKinney is still hoping that cornerback Jaire Alexander is back with the Green Bay Packers defense for the 2025 season, but the All-Pro safety is ultimately rooting for things to work out best for his friend and teammate.

With OTAs underway, the Packers are still uncertain about whether Alexander will play for them next season. He is under contract with a $24.6 million salary-cap hit in 2025, per Over the Cap, but neither side has yet committed to him remaining in Green Bay.

Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported that the Packers have proposed a restructured contract for Alexander to keep him with the team this year, but he added that Alexander and his camp have not yet agreed to restructure his deal.

In the meantime, McKinney is simply trying to support his friend. He has grown close to the cornerback over his first 14 months with the Packers and worked out with him earlier in the offseason. But while he and the rest of his defensive teammates want him back, he plans to support Alexander regardless of how the situation resolves in the end.

“We would all like him back. I talk to him every day, pretty much. Just trying to stay connected with him,” McKinney said Wednesday. “At the end of the day, I’m going to be behind him regardless of the situation going on. We’ve developed a relationship good enough off the field that I’m just like, ‘Brah, I just want what’s best for you and I’mma be there regardless,’ so I’ve been vocal about that with him.

“We want him here, but however that situation plays out, that’s how it plays out.”

Xavier McKinney Enters 2025 as Packers’ Top Defender

McKinney had a phenomenal first season with the Packers in 2024 after signing a four-year, $67 million contract in free agency. He earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a 17-game starter and intercepted the second-most passes (eight) in the NFL, solidifying himself as a cornerstone piece of Green Bay’s new defense under Jeff Hafley.

While the expectations have not changed for McKinney, though, he is heading into his second season with a focus on helping the young Packers defenders find their way.

“Right now, my main focus is I’m trying to lead these young guys that just got in, trying to make sure they are comfortable and are going to be ready to go when the season comes along,” McKinney said.

McKinney will have some help. The Packers return veteran cornerback Keisean Nixon and added former Las Vegas Raiders starter Nate Hobbs to the room in free agency, giving them a handful of experienced leaders for the secondary, even if Alexander exits.

And with support around him, McKinney can continue to chase his ultimate NFL goal.

“Gold jacket is what I’m aiming for, so that’s always going to be the goal,” McKinney said. “It’s been the goal since I came in. It’s been the goal since I was a kid. That energy and that level of intensity is always going to stay the same.”

Will Packers Release Jaire Alexander Before Camp?

The Packers’ restructured contract offer indicates they are still making an effort to keep their two-time All-Pro cornerback in the fold, but all outcomes are still on the table for Alexander and his future in Green Bay at this point — including a potential release.

While Schneidman wrote that Alexander is planning to attend the Packers’ mandatory minicamp in June and could report even sooner to participate in voluntary OTAs, he also noted the Packers might release him if negotiations on a restructure go nowhere.

The Packers understandably want to lower Alexander’s cap charge for the 2025 season after injuries limited him to seven games in each of the past two campaigns. He is an extremely talented and valuable player when he is healthy, but they are devoting too much money to a veteran who has struggled to stay available when they need him most.

If Alexander does not budge, and the Packers cannot find a trade partner (which they have been trying to do all offseason), then they may have no choice but to move on permanently and release him for roughly $19.5 million in cap savings before camp.