The Baltimore Ravens signed Jaire Alexander to bolster a talented secondary. As has been the case with Alexander in the past, though, getting him on the field has been the problem.
The cornerback has been dealing with a nagging knee injury, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Aug. 25 that Alexander was nearing a return to practice. Additionally, Harbaugh said he expected the two-time Pro Bowler to be ready for Week 1 against Buffalo.
Jaire Alexander Pushing to Get on Field with Ravens
According to Harbaugh, via Ravens beat reporters, Alexander is doing all he can to return to the field.
-TE Mark Andrews, FB Patrick Ricard and CBs Jaire Alexander (knee) and Chidobe Awuzie are all expected to return to practice next week.
-LB Jake Hummel, a special teams ace, had a minor procedure on his hand and will return Sept 3
With the preseason behind them, Alexander and the Ravens do have a built-in window for the former Green Bay Packers first-round pick to do as much recovery as possible before ramping up. Certainly, Baltimore will want him back on the field starting on Sept. 1 for the week of practice leading up to the game where things fall back into the normal regular-season flow.
That means there’s about a week and a half for Alexander to get healthier ahead of that Wednesday injury report the week of the Buffalo game.
This obviously has been an issue for Alexander, who was sensational early in his career with the Packers. He parlayed that into an $84 million contract extension, but he played just 34 games over his final four seasons in Green Bay, including three seasons in which he failed to reach eight games.
In fact, it was reportedly a point of contention from the team before the Packers finally just cut him loose earlier this year.
“Multiple team sources have privately expressed their frustration with Alexander’s inability to stay healthy and/or play through injuries,” ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky wrote in February, shortly after the season ended.
That season came to an end for the Packers in the wild-card round against eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. By that point, Alexander had been gone for quite some time. While he practiced in a way that made it seem like he might be ramping up, he never played another snap for the Packers after their Nov. 17 game against Chicago.
How Healthy Alexander Could Make Difference for Ravens in 2025
The knee injury that ended Alexander’s 2024 season is the same one bothering him early in Baltimore. All Harbaugh would say earlier in camp was Alexander had something to “just kind of take care of that knee.” Whether that works is one of the biggest question marks for the 2025 Ravens.
It’s easy to see why the Ravens were willing to take a risk on Alexander. He came relatively cheap, especially compared to his previous deal, signing a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $6 million. If he plays and plays well, the Louisville product (helps that he’s close with Lamar Jackson, too), could go to market next spring and cash in. That sort of performance would benefit Baltimore in multiple ways, including a compensatory pick if he were to leave.
Only five teams last season allowed more passing yards per game than the Ravens‘ secondary, and their 92.1 passer rating against was painfully average.
But if (Alexander) can stay healthy, he is another piece who can help turn what was one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season into perhaps one of the best,” the Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker wrote upon his signing.
For now, though, that “if” looms large.
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