Why haven't the Packers moved on from Jaire Alexander yet?

A week into the 2025 league year, cornerback Jaire Alexander remains on the Packers' roster despite the team signaling his departure for weeks.

Good morning!

The Green Bay Packers haven't exactly stayed quiet during the first wave of free agency. However, nearly a full week into the 2025 league year, they have yet to finalize a move that the front office has forecasted for weeks: the departure of Jaire Alexander.

Today's edition of The Leap looks at the reasons why the Packers haven't yet cut ties with Alexander and what the team intends to do with him now.

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Why haven't the Packers moved on from Jaire Alexander yet?

Jason B. Hirschhorn: For all the surprise and confusion generated by the Packers' free-agent additions last week, the lack of movement in another part of the roster seems no less peculiar. Jaire Alexander, the Pro Bowl corner who Green Bay has openly dangled on the trade market for nearly three weeks, remains on the roster several days into the new league year.

The Packers have done little to suggest they won't move on from Alexander. During the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Brian Gutekunst wouldn't commit to the cornerback returning for another season, saying instead, "We'll see. We're working through that." The following day, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the team has "had trade conversations centered around" Alexander and would consider shipping him out for "the right price."

Since then, little has surfaced on the Alexander front. No trade has materialized nor even a front-runner for his services. Prior to the start of free agency, The Leap reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars -- who recently hired Green Bay assistant Anthony Campanile as their defensive coordinator -- could emerge as a suitor. However, they subsequently signed former Dallas Cowboys corner Jourdan Lewis on a three-year, $30 million, reducing the need for Alexander's services.

Meanwhile at 1265 Lombardi Ave., Alexander's current employer also made commitments at the position. The Packers signed former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract. While Hobbs has played the majority of his defensive snaps in the slot during his NFL career, he does have a full season of experience as a primarily boundary corner and will likely line up outside in Green Bay.

Realistically, Hobbs won't replicate Alexander's impact on a down-to-down basis. However, his youth and stronger track record of availability make him a reasonable replacement. Alexander has missed 10 or more games in three of the last four seasons. Hobbs, however, has played in double-digit games every year of his NFL career.

So, with the Packers making preparations to move on and no apparent competition for Alexander's services, why does he remain on the roster? A few factors appear to have played a role.

The first and most notable comes from Alexander's deal. Unlike many of the Packers' veteran contracts, this agreement doesn't have any meaningful money triggering between now and Week 1. Green Bay could hold onto Alexander for months without financially committing to Alexander for the upcoming season.

Still, the Packers don't typically sit on soon-to-be departing players like Alexander just for the sake of doing so. The longer he remains on their roster, the worse his market becomes, both in terms of potential landing spots and uncommitted money for other teams. Even if Green Bay plans to get out of the Alexander business this offseason, treating him poorly on the way out could have negative repercussions that could affect future players and negotiations.

Does all of that mean Alexander might not leave after all? Probably not. Again, the Packers have already procured his replacement, and the incoming rookie class features plenty of attractive options that fit the team's cornerback profile. While the door for Alexander to return technically remains open, the preponderance of the evidence strongly suggests that his departure is a matter of when, not if.

All of which points to a different conclusion. Green Bay likely believes an Alexander trade remains on the table. Potential suitors might not care to take on the full freight of his contract -- an acquiring team would absorb a 2025 cap hit of up to $17.5 million -- but that figure could come down via one of multiple methods. The Packers could agree to eat some of Alexander's base salary this year. Additionally or alternatively, a club looking to add Alexander could persuade him to adjust his contract to facilitate a move. The corner reportedly wouldn't consider a restructured deal to stay in Green Bay, but he might for a fresh start elsewhere.

That doesn't mean the Packers expect to land a huge return for Alexander. If a team felt compelled to trade, say, a third-round pick for him, that almost certainly would have transpired by now. But if Gutekunst believes he can find a decent Day 3 pick for Alexander, he has enough incentive to wait and see how the market settles after the first wave of free agency and maybe even beyond that.

So, while Alexander seems unlikely to suit up for Green Bay again, he still can have a material impact on their future.