PACKERS CB JAIRE ALEXANDER SIGNS FOUR-YEAR $84MILLION EXTENSION, MAKING HIM HIGHEST-PAID CORNER IN FOOTBALL
After losing All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Green Bay Packers decided to open the vault by signing 2020 Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander to a 4-year, $84million extension, according to reports by ESPN and NFL Network on Monday morning. The deal keeps the 2018 first-round draftee in Green Bay through the 2026 season.
The extension increases Alexander’s annual pay to $21million, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL on an average per-year basis, beating Cleveland Browns’ cornerback Denzel Ward’s $20.1million a year. Ward agreed to a 5-year, $100.5million extension with the Browns only four weeks ago, which eclipsed LA Rams DB Jalen Ramsey’s previous record, signed in 2020, of $20million a year.
Alexander’s $21million a year salary ranks third among defensive players in the league, behind only Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald who earns $22.5million a year, and 2021 Defensive Player of The Year TJ Watt who earns a massive $28million annually.
The contract includes a defensive back record $30million signing bonus, and a $1.076million base salary, meaning Alexander will get a massive $31million payday in year one. The Packers structured the deal to include a low base salary so as to get Jaire’s cap number as low as possible this season. Alexander was previously tied to the Packers on a fifth-year rookie option that would have paid him $13.294million in 2022, with the entire total counting on this year’s salary cap. The Packers had about $11million in cap space before this deal.
The deal also includes a roster bonus of $11.5million due in March, $45million through year two, and $61million through year three. The 2018 18th-overall pick’s extension has been a topic of conversation this offseason with GM Brian Gutekunst speaking about it last month: “He [Alexander] is such a big part of what we’re doing; he’s been such a good player for us since the day he kind of arrived. We’d love for it [an extension] to happen. Certainly, we’ve been in communication with his representation and we will continue to be as we go through the year.”
The move strengthens Packers’ commitment to the cornerback position in the past year after they drafted Eric Stokes in the first round of the 2021 draft and re-signed Rasul Douglas to a three-year, $21million deal in March.
Green Bay opens their 2022 regular season on September 11th against NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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