The Green Bay Packers have suspended star cornerback Jaire Alexander for their Week 17 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings due to his actions before last weekend’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Alexander went out to midfield for the pregame coin toss versus the Panthers even though he was not announced as one of the team’s captains. He then told the official that the Packers wanted to kick rather than receive.
Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke on the club’s decision to suspend Alexander this week.
“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” said Gutekunst, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together. We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”
Talk about a bizarre twist in what has been a topsy-turvy season for the Packers in general. It’s also pretty bad timing, as Green Bay is still in the Wild Card race in the NFC with two games remaining.
Due to injuries, Alexander has only played in six games this season, logging 26 tackles, a forced fumble and four passes defended.
When healthy, Alexander is the Packers’ best defensive back and is one of the better cornerbacks in football.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Louisville, was selected by Green Bay with the 18th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
After a couple of impressive seasons to begin his career, Alexander made the Pro Bowl in his third year, registering 51 tackles, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and 13 passes defended.
Alexander then made his second trip to the Pro Bowl last season after racking up 56 tackles, five picks and 15 passes defended.
The Packers are 7-8. After facing the Vikings this weekend, they will wrap up the regular season when they take on the Chicago Bears on Jan. 7. They are one game out of a playoff spot, although there are numerous teams ahead of them.
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