The Green Bay Packers have placed cornerback Jaire Alexander on the reserve/suspended list, general manager Brian Gutekunst announced Wednesday. The decision comes after Alexander, not named a captain for the Packers’ Week 16 win over the Carolina Panthers, went out for the pregame coin toss.
#Packers place CB Jaire Alexander on the reserve/suspended list.
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— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 27, 2023
“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. 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. 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.”
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When asked why he walked out with the captains, Alexander said, “It’s only suiting. I don’t think coach knew I was from Charlotte.”
The 26-year-old cornerback has started in each of his six appearances this season, but Green Bay will be without him Sunday when the team travels to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. The Packers (7-8) have a 27.7 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s Austin Mock.
Why Alexander went out for pregame coin toss
Before Sunday’s game against the Panthers in Charlotte, Alexander’s hometown, the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history decided to make himself a captain. Green Bay didn’t elect season-long captains this year and have instead been naming three game captains each week, one each on special teams, offense and defense. Alexander wasn’t one of those three, but walked out with running back Aaron Jones, inside linebacker Quay Walker and inside linebacker Eric Wilson for the coin toss as the fourth captain before Sunday’s 33-30 win over the Panthers.
Not only that, but Alexander called the coins toss, and won it by calling tails. However, Alexander almost cost the Packers a possession because instead of electing to “defer” their choice to receive to the second half, he told the referee he wanted Green Bay’s defense on the field. Technically, Alexander was making the Packers’ choice for the first half — to kick — which would’ve allowed the Panthers to choose what to do for the second half.
And if Alexander chose to kick and put Green Bay’s defense on the field to start the game, Carolina could’ve just chosen to receive again to start the second half. The referee in charge of the coin toss knew what Alexander meant, so he saved him by allowing Green Bay to receive to start the second half.
Alexander spoke postgame and confirmed he went out for the coin toss on his own and when asked if anyone said anything to him when he got back to the sideline, said, “No. Why would they?”
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“That was a big mistake,” head coach Matt LaFleur said postgame of Alexander’s near-botch. “That’s something that you review with the guys before they go out there every time about, ‘Hey, we win the toss, we’re going to defer.’ I went to the officials before the game, made sure they knew what we were going to do. We had an incident earlier this year where we had a similar situation, so always trying to be proactive in that approach.”
Now, Alexander will be unavailable for a must-win game against the Vikings and star wideout Justin Jefferson on Sunday Night Football in Minneapolis. — Matt Schneidman, Packers beat reporter
(Photo: Bob Donnan / USA Today)