The departure felt inevitable. After injuries plagued his recent tenure with the Green Bay Packers, it was only a matter of time before Green Bay chose to go in a different direction at the cornerback position. However, his next landing spot remained uncertain until a public plea from Lamar Jackson.
The Baltimore Ravens’ superstar quarterback urged general manager Eric DeCosta to sign Alexander during minicamp. Just one day later, Alexander became the newest member of the Baltimore secondary. However, before the Ravens secured his services, two other franchises were seriously pursuing the two-time All-Pro selection.
What Were the Other Choices for Jaire Alexander?
Since being drafted 18th overall in 2018, Alexander has made two Pro Bowl appearances and earned two All-Pro honors (2020, 2022) for the Packers, establishing himself as an elite cornerback when healthy. However, the biggest criticism against him has been his injury history.
In a seven-year career, he has tallied more than 13 games played just three times. To make matters worse, he has three separate seasons with fewer than eight games played. The last two years, as the Packers began the Jordan Love era, have been especially challenging.
Playing in just seven games both years, Alexander hasn’t been worth the price of admission on his four-year, $84 million contract that he signed in 2022. As a result, the Packers needed more reliability at the position.
After he was released on June 9, the Ravens wasted little time bringing him on board, signing him just nine days later on June 18. His contract is a one-year, prove-it deal worth $4 million with up to $2 million in incentives.
But Baltimore wasn’t the only potential destination for Alexander. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN on SportsCenter detailed how the deal came together, reporting, “Eric DeCosta, the GM of the Ravens, was in on this back in March even, flirting with a trade possibility.”
When the opportunity presented itself, Baltimore moved quickly. “Jaire agreed to visit the team, but he didn’t make any commitment until he was onsite,” Fowler reported. But who are the two other teams that the Louisville product considered?
A note on how Jaire Alexander ended up a Baltimore Raven pic.twitter.com/cJ736wsVGE
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 21, 2025
“[Atlanta] Falcons, he was considering. Miami Dolphins, he was also considering. But Baltimore had the clear edge throughout that process.” Now he’s joining a team that fielded a top-10 defensive unit last season, per PFSN’s Defense+ metric.
The Ravens’ pass defense specifically struggled in 2024, ranking 31st in the NFL by allowing 244.1 yards per game. Alexander joins a secondary that includes Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Nate Wiggins, Chidobe Awuzie, and Marlon Humphrey, giving defensive coordinator Zach Orr significant flexibility in coverage schemes.
