Matt LaFleur provides update on All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur has given an update to the status of his Pro Bowl corner Jaire Alexander. As of now, Alexander is ruled out for Sunday’s contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. But not much is known about the duration of time Green Bay would be without his defensive skill set.
The Packers are hoping that Alexander’s shoulder can heal without surgery. It is still a possibility that he could be placed on short-term injured reserve. But it is not likely that Green Bay will go with the nuclear option and place him on season-ending injured reserve.
Alexander’s status
Alexander’s injury is listed as a shoulder sprain, which can vary on how long it takes to recover based on severity. On Friday this is what LaFleur had to say.
“We got better clarity with that,” LaFleur said about Alexander’s shoulder sprain. “We’re going to let it heal and see where it’s at down the line before making that determination (on surgery). We’re hopeful it’ll heal the right way and he’ll be back with us in a matter of weeks.”
If the Packers place Alexander on short-term IR he will be out at least three weeks. And if it is done before Sunday’s game he will miss the upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals, followed by matchups with the Chicago Bears and Washington Football Team.
The Packers backup plan
While the Packers will be without Alexander for Sunday’s game at Cincinnati, they do expect to have Kevin King back. King has been missing in action for the past two games because of a concussion. However, is cleared to play as of Friday and will be available for Green Bay.
Outside of King, look for the Packers two rookie corners to see extended playing time. Eric Stokes took over as started while King was in concussion protocol. Stokes is the Packers’ first-round pick from this year’s draft out of Georgia. He recorded his first NFL interception last week against the Steelers. The other is Shemar Jean-Charles who the drafted in the fifth round. Jean-Charles is from Appalachian State and has yet to record his first career interception.
This week is not all bad news for Green Bay. The Packers were able to successfully strike a deal with recently released Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith. Smith could be just the help that Packers need and fill a void that has been there since they moved on from all-pro linebacker Clay Matthews in 2019.