NFL Rumors: Jaire Alexander's Future With Packers Depends on Roster Bonus

The Green Bay Packers will decide if they want to keep cornerback Jaire Alexander based on a roster bonus of $8 million that he is owed on March 20, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Packers handed Alexander a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team after he participated in the coin flip prior to Green Bay's matchup with the Carolina Panthers in Week 16. The 26-year-old appointed himself captain without the coaching staff knowing.

"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," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced on Wednesday, per the team's official website. "As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first."

Alexander also surrendered a $700,000 workout bonus in June by skipping most of Green Bay's offseason workouts while only participating in the team's mandatory minicamp. Schefter noted that the Packers "prefer" to have their players participate in the offseason program, which could be a factor in the front office's decision regarding his roster bonus in March.

The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback has also struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons. He's missed nine games this year due to separate shoulder and back issues and only appeared in four contests during the Packers' 2021 campaign due to a significant shoulder injury.

Alexander is set to earn $16 million in salary and bonus next season. If Green Bay makes the decision to cut him prior to March 20, the dead money would cost the team just over $3 million against the 2024 salary cap (per Schefter).