Turns out, Jaire Alexander nearly botching the coin flip for the Green Bay Packers prior to last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers had “nothing to do” with the team’s decision to suspend the All-Pro for one game over his conduct.
The Packers handed down a one-game suspension to Alexander on December 27 for conduct deemed detrimental to the team, leading many to believe it was a consequence of Alexander’s actions in the pregame against the Panthers. He had anointed himself a captain and then misspoke when the Packers won the coin toss, almost costing them the opportunity to receive to start the second half — had the referee not clarified his intent.
After the game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur called Alexander’s actions “a big mistake,” but he later clarified that their decision to suspend him had “nothing to do with the whole incident” and suggested it was a culmination of other issues.
“I’ll just say this: It’s never for one thing,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “But like I said, I think there’s a lot of lessons along the way for everybody involved, and hopefully we learn from them. I think we will, I think there will be better communication moving forward. And like I said, I think Ja is going to be here a long time. He’s a helluva player and just looking to move past this and learn from this, and we’ll all move forward and be better from it.”
The Packers will now be without Alexander in a must-win matchup against Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17.
Packers Mix Messages on Jaire Alexander’s Suspension
The Packers are now saying two different things about Alexander’s suspension. LaFleur says the coin-flip incident in Week 16 had “nothing to do” with the team suspending him for one game, but general manager Brian Gutekunst indicated in his statement about the suspension that Alexander’s actions played at least some role in the decision.
“Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step,” Gutekunst wrote on December 27. “As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire [on Wednesday] 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.”
Either way, it certainly adds to what has been a mysterious season for Alexander. He had missed six consecutive games with a shoulder injury prior to returning in Week 17 against the Panthers. During that time, though, he only missed four total practices and earned a “questionable” status on the injury report in three of the six games he missed.
Still, LaFleur insists, like the coin-flip drama, that Alexander’s injury troubles and recent availability issues had “nothing to do” with their decision to suspend him.
“Obviously, it’s been a frustrating year for him,” LaFleur said. “And by no means — I want to make sure this is perfectly clear — it has nothing to do with that, with him not being able to play. It is well documented, he has been battling through, so it has nothing to do with that. It’s just that every action could potentially have a consequence for it.”
Suspending Jaire Alexander in Team’s ‘Best Interest’
The doomsayers might take Jaire Alexander’s suspension as a sign that the Packers are not certain about his long-term future with the team. He signed a four-year, $84 million extension in 2022 that ties him to Green Bay through the 2026 season, but things can change fast if a player starts causing problems or fails to live up to the value of his contract.
Both LaFleur and Gutekunst have stressed, though, that Alexander is a valued player whom they believe will continue to be a part of their future when he returns.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re at that juncture,” LaFleur said. “[We] felt like it was in the best interest long term for our team and for Jaire. Certainly, it was a tough decision, especially where we’re at right now, and one we don’t take lightly, but there are standards that we’re all held accountable for. And when they’re not met, unfortunately, sometimes you have to take some drastic measures.
“However, I will say that we are expecting to get him back and we’re looking forward to getting him back. We had a long conversation this morning. I thought it was very productive. And I think, in the long run, even though it is painful now, I think we’re all going to better for this moving forward.”
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