The Green Bay Packers enter the 2024 offseason with aspirations of going from a playoff-caliber team to a Super Bowl-caliber team. Jordan Love and the young offense around him have shown the NFL that Green Bay has a bright future.
There will be big changes on defense, but the talent on that side of the ball means expectations remain high. One of these talented players has recently been the subject of trade rumors. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst addressed those rumors today. Brian Gutekunst says Jair Alexander is not considering a trade this offseason. Was pleased with Alexander’s return to the game and expects him to be a mainstay of the #Packers defense going forward.Last season, Alexander and the team signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension. Of the original $84 million, only $30 million was guaranteed as a signing bonus.
For five years, Alexander was under contract at the time of signing, and his bonus would be commensurate with the salary cap ($6 million per year). How much does it cost to do business with Alexander?Therefore, Alexander’s dead cap (the cost to get rid of him via trade or release) is $18 million in 2024 (the dead cap of the remaining signing bonus). In addition, most of Alexander’s funds in 2023 were reorganized into bonuses.
If the team wants to trade Alexander in 2024, the new bonus would add $9.4 million to the cap, bringing the total dead cap to over $27 million. What is the impact of the $27 million dead cap? Four other dead picks in NFL history would be higher: Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady (retired) and Carson Wentz. In other words, it would be the biggest blowout for a non-quarterback in NFL history. Plus, he’s one of the best in the league at his position and has a great relationship with the coaching staff (even after his suspension).
Matt LaFleur always speaks highly of Alexander. As if you didn’t need any more convincing, Jaire Alexander will be staying with the Packers for the foreseeable future.
