Jaire Alexander injury: Packers star CB may require season-ending surgery
The Green Bay Packers are banged up on defense and cornerback Jaire Alexander has been placed on the injured reserve list as he has a sprained AC joint. Despite this, the corner will be out of the team for well over a couple of weeks.
According to sources who spoke with ESPN, the Packers medical team is going to decide in the next few weeks if one of the best defensive players in the league will only miss a couple of games or if he will sit out the remainder of the season.
Bottom line for #Packers CB Jaire Alexander, according to a source, is can he play safely with a shoulder brace, does he just need some time to heal or is it longer term. That’s why the injury is being looked at by multiple specialists. #Packers need to get this right.
Given how important Alexander is to the Packers defense, several doctors have reviewed his results and even more are expected to give their thoughts on the next few weeks as the franchise decides what to do with their star corner, a source told ESPN. The team wants to see how Alexander’s shoulder injury develops and what the test results come back with.
#Packers CB Jaire Alexander is believed to have suffered an AC joint injury in his shoulder, sources say. More evaluations to come to see how bad it is but that’s the initial diagnosis.
If there is to be surgery for Alexander, then it would be a huge blow to a Packers team chasing a Super Bowl as it would effectively end his season.
Another thing that is worth noting is that Alexander is in the fourth year of his five-year deal. Both the Packers and their star corner want to get a deal worked out with the impending payday set to make him one of the highest paid corners in the league.
Alexander out for weeks
The 24-year-old cornerback injured his shoulder in his team's Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and, after being placed on the injured reserve list, will miss at least three weeks.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke with the media on Friday about Alexander’s injury.
"It's just one of those things we're going to let heal and see where it's at down the line before making that determination," Matt LaFleur said. "But we're hopeful that it'll heal the right way and he'll be back with us in a matter of weeks."
Alexander’s absence was felt on Sunday as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers needed overtime to get past Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 25-22. Rodgers threw for 344 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his team's win.
As for Burrow, he was serviceable against a banged-up Packers defense, throwing for 281 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as the Bengals fell to 3-2 on the season.