Packers' Matt LaFleur Addresses Jaire Alexander's Health And Future With Team
The Green Bay Packers have a talented roster from top to bottom, and it was one of the reasons they made back-to-back playoff appearances, including a crushing 48-32 road win over the number two seeded Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 Wildcard Round, while being the youngest team in the league.
Still, Green Bay had room to improve its roster heading into the 2025 season. They drafted wide receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, edge rushers Collin Olliver and Barryn Sorrell, and offensive lineman Anthony Belton. However, even with those additions, the most significant boost the team can get is if Jaire Alexander remains with the team.
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The Packers have internally expressed frustration with Jaire Alexander's inability to stay on the field. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the team explored trade options involving the star cornerback in February. However, as reported on May 7, the Packers and Alexander were negotiating a revised deal to keep him in Green Bay, though no resolution has been reached yet.
On the Wednesday, May 21st edition of the Up & Adams show, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke about the relationship between Jaire Alexander and the team heading into the 2025 season.
Green Bay Packers HC Matt LaFleur answers questions from the media during the NFL Annual League Meeting© Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
"JA (Jaire Alexander) is a great player," LaFleur said. "Unfortunately, he's been kinda snake bit the last couple of years. He's missed a lot of time. So it's hard to play up to your potential when you're not on the grass."
Alexander has missed 34 of Green Bay's past 68 games. He will turn 29 in February, and his ability to stay healthy moving forward is uncertain. Still, the best-case scenario for the team and the player is for him to return, and Packers franchise quarterback Jordan Love is vouching for that.
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"I need to reach out to Ja, see what the deal is. Ja, he has his own world going on. I'm going to let him handle his own business and see what's going on," Love said during an interview with Kay Adams. "But that's my guy right there," Love said on the Up and Adams Show. "He's definitely a player we need back. Just the play style he plays with, who he is on the field. I mean, that's a guy we need to have around. So, we'll see what happens."
Both sides should hopefully reach an agreement on Alexander's future soon. If he comes back, Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley will have a blast working with him alongside Nate Hobbs, Xavier McKinney, and Evan Williams in the secondary — a group that could end up being one of the best in the league.
Related: Packers WR Coach Addresses 2024 Receiver Corps Struggles
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Indiana previously won three ABA titles in the 1970s. 7 The Pacers will need Tyrese Haliburton to have a big NBA Finals against the favored Thunder. NBAE via Getty Images The Thunder reached the championship round in 2012 led by young stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden before losing in five games to the Heat. One of these cities is going to get a victory celebration for the first time. That's the point All eyes will be on the scintillating matchup between two All-Star point guards, Knicks killer Tyrese Haliburton and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA will look to become the first regular-season MVP to cop an NBA title in the same season since Stephen Curry pulled off the feat with the Warriors in 2015. He is averaging 29.6 points per game during the Thunder's 12-4 march through the Western Conference. 7 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be expected to have a strong NBA Finals for the Thunder. 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NBAE via Getty Images Oh, Canada While the Edmonton Oilers are trying to become the first Canadian-based NHL team to win a Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993, the Great White North will be well-represented in the NBA Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander became the seventh consecutive MVP winner born outside the United States. Lockdown OKC defender Lu Dort also hails from Canada, as do Pacers teammates Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard. Either way, this will be the fourth straight year at least one Canadian will be part of the title-winning squad. Turner overdrive 7 Myles Turner looks on during Pacers practice on June 4 2025 in preparation for the NBA Finals which begins on Thursday. NBAE via Getty Images The most prominent pending unrestricted free agent on either side is longtime Indy big man Myles Turner, who is registering a league-best 2.3 blocked shots per game in the postseason among players with at least five appearances. The 6-foot-11 Turner didn't post any 20-point games against the Knicks after doing so four times in 10 games in the first two rounds against Milwaukee and Cleveland, but he's shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range. OKC big man Chet Holmgren is right behind Turner with 2.0 blocks per game in the playoffs. Home sweet home Road teams have won plenty of games in this postseason, but OKC has won eight of nine at Paycom Center, with an average margin of victory of 24.6 points, including a 51-point blowout of Memphis in the first round. The Pacers took the first two games at Madison Square Garden, after winning three times in Cleveland the previous round. The real pacemakers If Knicks fans thought Indy played at a frenetic race-track pace, the Thunder actually led the NBA in that advanced metric during the regular season with 100.9 possessions per 48 minutes of play, and they have been slightly better than the Pacers in that category in the playoffs, as well. These two teams also lead the NBA in points off turnovers per game in the postseason, with the Thunder again holding the edge. Get ready for Showtime in both directions.
