Jaire Alexander, a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers, anticipated he would be punished for choosing to captain the team against the Carolina Panthers, but he didn’t anticipate being suspended for the team’s game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
After his first practice back with the team on Wednesday, Alexander reportedly said, “Yeah, I was surprised by the suspension,” according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “I thought maybe I’d get fined.”
Demovsky said that Alexander’s one-game suspension was caused by more than just his embarrassing moment against the Panthers, according to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur omitted to mention if the 26-year-old had already received a sanction for any other errors made this season.
Due to shoulder and back issues, Alexander has only been able to play in six games this season. He refuted the idea that his connection with the coaching staff soured as a result of the ban.
“I think if anything, it improved it,” he stated.
At $21 million annually, Alexander is the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. He acknowledged the need for improved communication between himself, the coaching staff, and general manager of the Packers, Brian Gutekunst.
Alexander answered, “Yeah, I think it was definitely something to learn from.” “I should have done a better job of communicating during that week, no doubt about it. It won’t occur again going ahead.”
Alexander’s return to the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears—a game that Green Bay has to win in order to qualify for the playoffs—was not guaranteed by LaFleur.
“You guys will find out later in the week, so I won’t go into too much detail now. LaFleur remarked of Alexander, “But I will say that it was great to have him back.” “We had a great conversation on Monday, and I think he’s ready to go.”
