Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander previously tried to return to action after tearing a ligament in his knee, but he may have done more harm than good during Sunday’s brief appearance against the Chicago Bears.
Alexander told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic that he tore his PCL – the cruciate ligament – on October 27 during the Packers’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He tried to overcome the injury three weeks later, but played only 10 games before finishing Sunday’s victory at Soldier Field.
Alexander said he “felt something” in his knee and was ruled out of competition for the rest of the competition. Now the timetable for his return is up in the air.
The Packers deemed Alexander questionable for the game against the Bears after he practiced on a circumscribed basis every day of the week. He underwent an on-field training program to test the knee and felt well enough to play. But even Alexander admitted that three weeks of healing wasn’t enough and he needed “more time” to fully heal his PCL injury.
While Alexander, who missed back-to-back practices this week, may need many weeks to recover from his injury, he is expected to play again this season. It’s unclear whether an injured reserve – which would mean missing at least four games – is an option. The Packers will play seven more regular season games in 2024.
PCL injuries are common after landing awkwardly after a jump, as Alexander did behind schedule in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ victory in Jacksonville.
Without Alexander for the foreseeable future, the Packers will need Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes to step in as perimeter defenders in Jeff Hafley’s defense, starting on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
