The Green Bay Packers will likely have to continue their playoff push without cornerback Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowler. Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed on Wednesday that Alexander is having surgery to fix the knee injury that has kept him out for most of the last two months.
“Most likely, he’s going to be done for the rest of the year,” LaFleur said.
The injury first took Alexander out of the game during a 24-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on November 3. After the Packers had a week off, Alexander returned for a game against Chicago but played only 10 defensive snaps before the injury forced him to leave the game. Since then, he has missed six consecutive games. Now, it looks like he won’t return for the remainder of the season.
“It’s the situation,” LaFleur said. “It stinks that we’re here, but we’re here.”
Alexander’s absence is a significant setback for the Packers’ Super Bowl hopes as they compete for a wild card spot. The Packers (11-5) are currently the NFC’s No. 7 seed, meaning they would need to open the playoffs on the road against the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) and remain away for the entire playoff run.
However, if the Packers beat the Bears (4-12) at home on Sunday and the Washington Commanders lose to Dallas, Green Bay could still secure the No. 6 seed.
The Packers have allowed 17th most passing yards in the NFL this season. This weakness showed on Sunday, as they allowed Sam Darnold to throw for a career-high 377 yards in a 27-25 loss at Minnesota.
Despite Alexander’s injury, the Packers believe they can still make a deep playoff run with the defensive backs they have left.
“I have full trust in the guys in our room,” said safety Xavier McKinney. “We have a lot of talented guys, a lot of guys who are smart and can adjust on the fly. I feel good about our group. Obviously, we have guys who are being called upon each week. I feel really good about this group and what we have.”
With Alexander out, 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine and 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes have stepped up. Valentine played every defensive snap against the Vikings and recorded his second interception in three games.
“It’s really next-man up mentality,” Valentine said. “We’re always going to go out there and compete and just put our best foot forward.”
Alexander, 27, has been one of the league’s top cornerbacks when healthy. However, he has been limited to just 34 regular-season games over the past four seasons. He played only four games in 2021 due to a shoulder injury that ended his season.
Alexander missed only one game in 2022 but was sidelined by injuries this season as well. He missed three games with a back issue, six with a shoulder injury, and served a one-game suspension last year. This season, he was out for two games due to a groin injury before his knee problem took over.
“I know how badly he wants to be out there,” said Stokes. “The moment I found out, I was just like, ‘Dang.’ I sent him a text. ‘I know how you feel. I know what type of player you are. I know you really want to be out there for us,’ and all that stuff. He said, ‘Anything y’all need help with, just hit me. I’m going to be there.’”
