As NFL teams gear up for mandatory minicamp, the Pittsburgh Steelers are putting the finishing touches on their 90-man summer roster. But one surprising roster move could alter their plans. On Monday, the Green Bay Packers cut two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reports. The impressive cornerback is officially on the free agent market, and multiple NFL teams will be intrigued.
This move comes just days after the Steelers officially signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a one-year contract for the 2025 season. With a 41-year-old quarterback at the helm, Pittsburgh's front office will do everything in its power to string together a roster that can compete for the playoffs now.
Now, Alexander instantly becomes the top free agent available. But does he make sense for the Steelers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers just had a Pro Bowl cornerback fall into their lap—and one who played his best football when Aaron Rodgers was his quarterback, no less. But as good as he still is, the Steelers may be forced to pass on signing the talented starting cornerback.
At 28 years old, Alexander should still be in the prime of his NFL career. Sadly, Alexander has been riddled with injuries. Over the past four seasons, Alexander managed to play more than seven games in a season just once. Shockingly, Alexander has missed as many games (34) as he has played with the Packers over the past four seasons. In 2023 and 2024, the star cornerback combined to play in just 14 regular-season contests while dealing with shoulder and groin injuries.
In addition to the lengthy injury history, Alexander received a Week 17 suspension from the Packers in 2024 for 'conduct detrimental to the team'. But these factors by themselves wouldn't have been enough for the Steelers to look the other way.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have room on their roster for Jaire Alexander
The biggest reason why the Steelers likely won't sign Alexander is that they don't currently have a spot for him. Pittsburgh is high on third-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Despite the petalites and lack of interceptions (just one pick in his first two seasons), Porter has allowed a career passer rating of just 77.4 while showcasing sticky man coverage ability.
Meanwhile, the Steelers replaced Donte Jackson this offseason with Darius Slay. The Super Bowl-winning cornerback signed a one-year $10 million contract with $8.745 million at signing. You don't pay a cornerback that much money to have him sit on the bench, and at 34 years old, the Steelers aren't asking Slay to play special teams at this point in his career.
While Pittsburgh could use a proven option as a nickel cornerback, Alexander is going to want to sign with a team that will make him a full-time player on the boundary. Because of his injury history, Alexander is likely to ink a one-year deal with a team this summer, but he will be looking for a huge payday if he can stay healthy. He wouldn't find that new contract if he signed with the Steelers to be a slot cornerback.
When it comes to depth on the outside, the Steelers are optimistic about Cory Trice Jr., who, like Porter, is entering Year 3. Trice has shown promise when healthy, and the price is right. The 6'3'' cornerback has a cap number of just over $1.05 million for the 2025 season with two years remaining under contract.
With Aaron Rodgers aboard, the Steelers need to go all in for a shot to compete in the playoffs this year, but it doesn't make enough sense for either party for Jaire Alexander to come to Pittsburgh this year.