After a competitive offseason, the Green Bay Packers have released cornerback Jaire Alexander, a move the franchise tried hard to avoid through contract restructuring, but ultimately couldn’t pull off. Entering his eighth year in the NFL, Alexander is now a free agent and is free to sign with any team for the upcoming season.
The decision sent shockwaves through the NFL on Monday, June 9, prompting reactions from players and analysts alike. New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan weighed in on the situation, touching on a topic often debated among fans: loyalty in the NFL.
Cam Jordan Questions Loyalty in the NFL Environment
The relationship between the Packers and Alexander have been rocky in recent years — from a one-game suspension in 2023 after he “crashed” a coin toss without authorization, nearly costing the team the game to contract disputes during the 2025 offseason.
Green Bay and Alexander entered the offseason with conflicting goals. The Packers wanted the cornerback to restructure his contract due to injury concerns over the past two seasons, while Alexander refused to give up his salary and instead requested a trade. With no trade materializing, the team ultimately released him.
Speaking on Up & Adams, Jordan — who’s entering his 15th season with the Saints — weighed in on the broader theme of loyalty in the NFL. Jordan said what often appears to be mutual loyalty is usually one-sided, and in Alexander’s case, it wasn’t clear which party truly wanted to keep the relationship going.
“Every time you think there’s loyalty… sometimes there’s not.” 👀
Cam Jordan on the Packers releasing Jaire Alexander. @heykayadams | @camjordan94 pic.twitter.com/niCXiAiAir
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 9, 2025
“At the end of the day, it always comes back to the NFL being a business,” Jordan said. “Every time you think there’s loyalty, sometimes there’s not. Sometimes it’s one-sided, and I couldn’t tell you which side it belongs to. Maybe Jaire wanted to get out, maybe the Packers, whatever that was. Just know I appreciate the loyalty here at New Orleans.”
Just three years ago, the idea of Alexander not finishing his contract in Green Bay would have seemed far-fetched. In 2022, he played his best NFL season, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. It was also the last year he played at least 16 games, as injuries limited him to just 14 games combined over the past two seasons.
That same year, the Packers made Alexander the highest-paid cornerback in the league, signing him to a four-year, $84 million extension. His post–June 1 release leaves behind only $7.5 million in dead money while freeing up more than $17.1 million in cap space, a major factor in the decision.
If not for the injuries, Alexander would likely still be a Packer. When healthy, he’s been among the league’s top cornerbacks. But his availability became a recurring issue, and the franchise could no longer justify one of the league’s highest salaries at the position without consistent performance on the field.
Host Kay Adams asked Jordan if he’d like to see Alexander sign with the Saints now that his market value is expected to drop, a potential low-risk, high-reward opportunity.
“I was gonna say, don’t we have some cap? We got some cap space,” Jordan responded with a smile.
According to Spotrac, the Saints currently rank 15th in available cap space with $28.7 million, so Jordan’s claim holds weight. Whether New Orleans pursues Alexander now falls to the team’s front office.
Loyalty between NFL franchises and players remains one of the most talked-about and misunderstood aspects of the sport. But in the end, it’s a business. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady didn’t retire as a Patriot. Aaron Rodgers didn’t finish his career with the Packers. And moving forward, it’s increasingly rare to see a franchise icon spend their entire career in one uniform.