The Green Bay Packers made a surprising move this week, cutting ties with cornerback Jaire Alexander—a two-time All-Pro and longtime staple of their secondary. The move saved Green Bay over $17 million in cap space, and it didn’t take long before media chatter started linking Alexander to the Detroit Lions.
But let’s be real—this isn’t the kind of move Detroit needs to make right now.
Yes, Alexander has the résumé. But he’s also struggled to stay on the field, playing just seven games in each of the last two seasons and missing at least 10 games in three of the past four years. His latest setback? A lingering knee injury that ended up requiring surgery. For a team like the Lions—who battled injuries all over the defense last season—adding another injury-prone player isn’t the wisest gamble.
More importantly, Detroit already addressed the cornerback position. They handed D.J. Reed a three-year, $48 million contract this offseason and used a first-round pick on Terrion Arnold in 2024. Reed is locked in as a starter, and the team has high hopes that Arnold will take a big leap in Year 2. Bringing in Alexander would either force one of those guys into a lesser role or risk slowing Arnold’s development.
And let’s not forget the money. If Alexander were open to a team-friendly deal, he might still be in Green Bay. That’s clearly not the case, and there are better places for Detroit to invest its cap space—especially in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Bottom line? The Lions have done a solid job building their secondary with youth and veteran leadership. Adding Alexander now would be more of a luxury than a necessity—and not a smart one.
