After being released by the Green Bay Packers in June, the 2025 season has been a journey for veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander. The former Packer signed with the Baltimore Ravens in the summer, but poor performance and injury issues prompted the Ravens to trade him to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
With Alexander set to see his former team in Monday’s matchup at Lambeau Field, the 28-year-old will be looking for his second “fresh start” of the season. But even if he plays better in a different shade of green, his new boss, general manager Howie Roseman, knows that Alexander comes as a risk-reward acquisition.
“I remember thinking in June when he signed in Baltimore, ‘Man, what a great signing,’” Roseman said when talking to reporters on Tuesday (h/t @PHLEaglesNation). “After doing a deep dive, knowing (Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker) worked with him, and now he’s healthy and feeling good, still young, we felt the risk is well worth the reward.”
Eagles GM Howie Roseman Knows Jaire Alexander Trade Could Backfire
There is a lot to unpack in Roseman’s comments.
The Eagles looked for cornerback help throughout the offseason but didn’t pull the trigger on Alexander before he went to the Ravens. Philadelphia also had a previous connection to Alexander with Parker, who was the Packers’ defensive quality control coach for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but Alexander decided to reunite with former Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson in Baltimore instead.
The connections and previous admiration for Alexander were a likely reason why Roseman made the move. But Alexander’s performance on the field and injury issues also made it a risky trade.
Alexander battled injuries throughout his time with the Packers, and a knee injury lingered into the first several weeks with the Ravens. While he was healthy enough to return to the field, he wasn’t effective when he was on it, allowing all five targets to be caught for 116 yards with a penalty over 61 defensive snaps.
In the end, Alexander’s most notable moment as a Raven was trying to steal the ball from Houston Texans rookie receiver Jaylin Noel after his first career touchdown. But Philadelphia rolled the dice anyway as it looked for an upgrade at the cornerback position.
Of course, this was the roller coaster Packers fans rode with Alexander for years. While he was much more effective in Green Bay, injuries and his antics on the field were what punched his ticket out of town. Roseman knows what he’s getting into here, and while he knows the talent Alexander could be, he also knows that the acquisition could burst into flames quickly.
That’s the reason Roseman’s praise was a double-edged sword and could inspire Alexander to rewrite the narrative with his third team in six months.