A Star Player Is Now Available for the Vikings if They Want Him
The Minnesota Vikings have once again rebuilt their cornerback group this offseason. Of the four players slated to hit unrestricted free agency, only Byron Murphy Jr. was retained. A possible wingman for Murphy Jr. is about to hit the market.
This is the chance.
Much speculation has been happening across the state border. Wisconsin’s football team is about to end those by releasing star cornerback Jaire Alexander, various reports confirmed Monday morning.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport claimed: “The #Packers are releasing star CB Jaire Alexander today, sources say.”
The33rdteam’s Ari Meirov added, “The #Packers made attempts in recent weeks to keep Jaire Alexander on a restructured deal, but talks didn’t get far. Now he’s been released and becomes a very intriguing June free agent.”
So why is this interesting for the Vikings?
Well, the squad could use another defensive back. While Murphy Jr. was re-signed, Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin were not. Instead, the Vikings are relying on Mekhi Blackmon to return from his torn ACL and Philadelphia’s Isaiah Rodgers to make the step into a full-time role.
Those are kind of risky, because neither is a proven option, and we’ve seen in the last half decade how vital decent CB play is for a defense. Having a good defense without a reliable coverage unit is nearly impossible.
The roster concerns are down to an inexperienced QB and a CB group with only one certified starter. Acquiring Alexander could catapult the Vikings into a real contender tier.
Is he still good?
Alexander has struggled with injuries in the past. In the last two seasons, in fact, he only played in seven contests each. In 2024, he logged two interceptions and 16 tackles. The 2018 first-rounder out of Louisville is a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time second-team All-Pro. That was as recently as 2022.
When he was on the field, however, he was still decent, according to his PFF resume:
- 2018: 72.4 (30th/112 eligible CBs)
- 2019: 71.9 (23rd/116)
- 2020: 90.7 (1st/121)
- 2021: 73.4 (N/A)
- 2022: 80.3 (8th/118)
- 2023: 75.9 (22nd/127)
- 2024: 75.2 (19th/116)
This offseason alone, the Vikings have shown a willingness to take chances on previously injured players. Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave are all coming off injury-plagued seasons.
Alexander turned 28 in February.
The money factor
Alexander was about to enter the third season of his massive four-year, $84 million contract. Green Bay takes on a total of about $17 million in dead cap in 2025 and 2026, and the fact that he didn’t take the pay cut indicates that he still expects to have a market.
That means the Vikes won’t just be able to sign him for cheap. According to Over The Cap, the Vikings have about $18.4 million in cap space, and the way they have been structuring their contracts, they can borrow from the future as well (although that might be a bad idea considering they have already abused that system this offseason). Regardless, if they wanted to, they could fit even an expensive Alexander deal under their cap.
Packers media about the defender
PackersWire’s Zach Kruse wrote as the news broke: “Alexander was Brian Gutekunst’s first ever draft pick and a two-time All-Pro at a premium position, but significant injuries suffered during three of the last four seasons frustrated both sides and necessitated change, either in compensation for 2025 in Green Bay or a new team for the player.”
Between trade, re-worked contract, and cut, all options were on the table all offseason.
More from Kruse: “The Packers begin a mandatory minicamp this week, likely creating a decision point for the two sides. With Alexander planning to attend, the Packers had to decide whether or not to keep him on the roster and risk an injury or release him — and the team determined a release was the better choice.”
AtoZSports’ Wendell Ferreira noted about Green Bay’s new-looking cornerback group: “Without Jaire, cornerback immediately becomes the top need for the Packers’ roster ahead of the 2025 season. The group has Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, Carrington Valentine, Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, Gregory Junior, Micah Robinson, Johnathan Baldwin, Isaiah Dunn, and Tyron Herring.”
Once the release is official, Alexander will become an unrestricted free agent.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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