Packers Suspend Jaire Alexander After He Made Himself Captain vs. Panthers

Green Bay won’t have its best cornerback against the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson.

Jaire Alexander made a bold decision that could have cost the Green Bay Packers a Week 16 win versus the Carolina Panthers. As a result, the team is suspending him for one game.

Alexander is being penalized for conduct detrimental to the team, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced on Wednesday. 

“The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly,” Gutekunst said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step.” 

Alexander was not named one of the Packers’ three captains for the road matchup with the Panthers. Yet he went out to midfield with the captains for the pregame coin toss. After winning the coin toss, Alexander said he wanted Green Bay’s defense on the field rather than defer. The official corrected Alexander’s mistake, which could have prevented the Packers from receiving the kickoff to begin the second half. 

Jaire Alexander wasn’t announced by the Packers as a game captain, but he went out for the coin toss anyway. And called it. And won it. And almost messed it up.

Sounds like he just did it on his own.

“It’s only suiting. I don’t think coach knew I was from Charlotte.” pic.twitter.com/EVahq6QoOJ

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) December 24, 2023

Coach Matt LeFleur was not happy with Alexander, calling his decision “a big mistake” during his postgame remarks. 

The sixth-year cornerback, who had missed the previous six games with a shoulder injury, said he joined the captains because he’s a Charlotte native and believed coaches mistakingly forgot about that. 

“As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together,” Gutekunst added. “We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”

Suspending Alexander could be costly in a Week 17 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings and star receiver Justin Jefferson. At 7–8, the Packers are still alive for one of the NFC’s three remaining playoff spots. That indicates how seriously the coaches and front office took Alexander’s actions.