Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst did not hesitate Thursday when asked if the team would consider trading cornerback Jaire Alexander this offseason.
"No," Gutekunst answered immediately.
Packerfan Total Access- Clayton @packers_access<a href="">#Packers</a> GM Brian Gutekunst was asked if he gave any consideration to trading Jaire Alexander. Very short answer lol <a href="">#GoPackGo</a> <a href="">
Alexander made seven starts and recorded 27 tackles while limited by injuries and a suspension during his sixth NFL season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote in December that this bonus was expected to serve as a "trigger point" to the Packers' decision to keep or trade Alexander.
This season, Alexander was sidelined for three games with a back injury, six with a shoulder injury and one due to a suspension following his decision to appoint himself a team captain prior to a Dec. 24 coin toss against the the Carolina Panthers.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur indicated the coin toss was not the only factor in the decision to suspend Alexander, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
That wasn't the first time this season Alexander and the team had clashed over the cornerback's decisions. Alexander skipped out on a $700,000 workout bonus by not attending voluntary team workouts prior to the season, something the Packers "prefer" their players do, according to Schefter.
But after what LaFleur called a "great conversation," Alexander returned for the regular-season finale and the playoffs, where he picked off Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the Packers' Jan. 14 Wild Card victory.
The play inspired memories of the 2020 NFC Championship game, where Alexander made two interceptions in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportJAIRE ALEXANDER PICKS OFF DAK 😳<br><br>(via <a href="">@NFL</a>) <br> <a href="">
The four-year, $84 million extension Alexander signed after his 2022 Pro Bowl season made him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL. He is now set to cost the Packers $23.9 million against the cap in 2024, per Spotrac.
Cutting him before March 20 would cost the Packers more than $27 million in dead cap over the next two seasons, so if Green Bay leadership had decided to move on from Alexander, a trade would be the best move. Judging by Gutekunst's reaction, however, that is not something the team is currently considering.
