Joe Burrow exerted his influence with the Cincinnati Bengals to keep wide receiver Tee Higgins earlier this offseason. Now Jordan Love is trying to make his mark on the Green Bay Packers' roster. He wants general manager Brian Gutekunst and his staff to reverse course when it comes to cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Rumors have run rampant all season about the Packers' interest in trading the highly paid defensive back. Alexander has only managed to play in seven games in each of the last two seasons due to several injuries. His lack of availability frustrated head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff down the stretch last season.
Evidently Love sees Alexander as the sort of player that's worth the risk. He went on record with the "Up and Adams" show with his belief that the veteran corner should "definitely" be brought back into the fold next season.
"Ja, he's got his own world going on. I'm going to let him handle his own business and see what's going on. But that's my guy right there," Love said, h/t NFL.com. "He's definitely a player we need back. Just the play style he plays with, who he is on the field. I mean, that's a guy we need to have around. So, we'll see what happens."
Jordan Love wants Jaire Alexander back on Packers next season
Love knows that his team has a puncher's chance of making a Super Bowl run if things break right for them. His own ability to stay healthy and play at a high level is a requirement for Green Bay to make noise in an ultra competitive NFC. Credit Love for understanding that stopping the opposition is also an important part of his team's recipe for success.
When healthy, Alexander is the best outside corner on Green Bay's two-deep. The problem coordinator Jeff Hafley has is trusting him to be on the field consistently. He was forced to knit together a patchwork secondary too many times in 2025. The idea that Alexander can come back and be trusted to play a full 17-game slate is more of a wish than a dream for the Packers.
None of that means the franchise should give him away in a trade or cut him with no compensation coming back in return. Yes, Alexander is unreliable and overpaid. It's still hard to envision Green Bay acquiring a cornerback with more upside at this late stage of the offseason. Drafting a corner might be good long-term roster construction for the Packers but the chances of a rookie turning into an immediate All-Pro are remote. It's easy to envision Alexander reaching those heights if his body doesn't betray him.
Add it all up and Love's words put the Packers' front office in a tough spot. If they do trade him they will risk alienating their most important player. Keeping Alexander might cause friction with LaFleur and his staff. This tough decision is a good example of why Gutekunst is so highly compensated.